GELETT BURGESS 
 
 < 
 
<S 
 
 \\ 
 
Chester," she cried, "take me." Page 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 By 
 GELETT BURGESS 
 
 Author of Vivette 
 
 A Little Sister of Destiny 
 
 etc. 
 
 With Illustrations by 
 
 WILL GREFfi 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 
 PUBLISHERS 
 
COPYRIGHT 1907 
 THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY 
 
 MARCH 
 
 
PART FIRST 
 
 912797 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I came to myself with a disturbing sense 
 that something was wrong with me. My dis- 
 comfort, increasing steadily, resolved itself 
 into two distinct factors a pain in my side 
 at every breath and a throbbing ache in the 
 top of my head. I realized that I was in bed, 
 and the first strangeness of it struck me. I 
 could not account for it. The wild, spicy 
 odor of flowers came to me, adding to my 
 perplexity. Then I opened my eyes. 
 
 The place was so dimly lighted that for 
 some seconds my sluggish wits were unable 
 to interpret the blotches of shadow and the 
 vague glimmering spots. These, however, 
 gradually resolved themselves into compre- 
 hensible forms. I perceived that I was in 
 a strange room, large and airy; for even in 
 
 3 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 the obscurity I got a feeling of free, clean 
 space, and of that chaste emptiness which is 
 apt to distinguish the guest-chamber of a 
 well-kept house. I heard, now, the steady, 
 deliberate ticking of a clock a little way off, 
 and somewhere below was a small grinding 
 sound, so low as to be almost a mere vibra- 
 tion, like a coffee-mill in operation. Near 
 by, a door closed and latched softly. 
 
 I moved and attempted to sit up, but a 
 sharp stab in my side warned me that my 
 hurt was perhaps more serious than I had 
 thought. There was a lump on my head, too, 
 which probably accounted for my lapse of 
 consciousness. 
 
 Setting my memory painfully to work, 
 groping back through the darkness of my 
 mind for something to explain the mystery, 
 much as one might descend a dark, unlighted 
 stairway, I came upon the last fact that had 
 been recorded by my brain. I had been put- 
 ting on speed the road through the woods 
 was straight, level and deserted hoping to 
 get up to town early in the afternoon. The 
 
 4 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 steering-gear of my motor-car had given 
 way. I had felt the wheels suddenly veer, 
 then, before I put on my brake, the front of 
 the car went down and the rear was thrown 
 up and over with the momentum, sending me 
 flying through the air. 
 
 I wondered, lazily, how much the machine 
 had suffered. Then, I must have dropped 
 off to sleep again, for when I next opened 
 my eyes there was a flickering ray of light in 
 the room. This time I was keenly alert men- 
 tally, desirous of some explanation of my 
 situation. Where was I, and who had cared 
 for me? 
 
 The light grew brighter, still wavering, 
 slanting across the wall where it rocked and 
 shifted, casting long, distorted shadows that 
 danced up and down. Some one was evi- 
 dently coming up-stairs with a light. The 
 door was hidden by a projecting angle of the 
 wall, however, and so for a few moments I 
 saw nobody. 
 
 In those seconds the room was illuminated 
 gradually more and more, showing a white- 
 
 5 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 painted wainscot with a dull green wall 
 above, where a few Japanese prints hung. 
 Opposite my bed was a window with small, 
 old-fashioned panes; there was another be- 
 side me. The rays glinted on the polished 
 sides of several pieces of old mahogany 
 furniture and flared yellow on brass candle- 
 sticks and on the gilded frame of an eagle 
 mirror. Finally the glare stopped its un- 
 dulating, the shadows grew steadier on the 
 wall, and, as I gazed eagerly for a first 
 glimpse of my visitor, a young woman, bear- 
 ing a silver candlestick, came into the room. 
 She looked immediately over to where I 
 lay, and then, catching my surprised stare, 
 her expression changed wonderfully from a 
 rather pathetic abstraction to an animated 
 interest. With something not quite a smile 
 on her face she walked nearer my bed, and 
 stood for a moment without speaking, still 
 looking at me. Her attitude hinted that she 
 saw in me something as if, for instance, it 
 were a sort of picturesqueness which was 
 unexpected enough to appeal to her imagina- 
 
 6 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 tion. She rested for a moment, poised and 
 calm, but intensely attentive, fascinated. 
 
 And I, at the same time, was instantly 
 conscious of so curious a sentiment that I 
 must stop to attempt to describe it. 
 
 I conceived myself to be a connoisseur in 
 women, and I estimated her at first sight 'as 
 one unique, even extraordinary. But 
 though to my mind she was indubitably 
 beautiful, it was not her beauty that for the 
 moment thrilled me. It was chiefly her 
 "newness," the very novelty of her visita- 
 tion. I felt a sudden, compelling desire to 
 prolong the mystery of her presence rather 
 than to have it explained. I tried, mentally, 
 to delay her first word, to hold her back 
 from any definite explanation till my eyes had 
 had their fill of her till they had, so to 
 speak, solved her equation till my wonder 
 had spent itself in the vision, exhausting all 
 its possibilities of delight. Her charm was, 
 in its unexpectedness, so alluring, that she 
 was like a pleasant dream which one lingers 
 with and detains. 
 
 7 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 She was small, but her head was so ex- 
 quisitely proportioned to her body that one 
 did not notice her size. I have called her 
 young, though she was twenty-seven, for 
 her graceful figure and pose were still girl- 
 ishly maintained. The shape of her small 
 head was defined by a quaint coiffure, the 
 dark, fine hair being banded in an encircling 
 plait up past her tiny ears and over, like a 
 coronal, showing a sweeping high-bred curve 
 over her low brow. All this gave her a ten- 
 der, virginal aspect ; but her soft, deep brown 
 eyes were so saddened by warm shadows be- 
 low the lids, her mouth was so tremulously 
 sensitive, with its slightly parted lips, and 
 the little lines that women fear had begun to 
 write her history so suggestively upon her 
 face, that, as I gazed at her, I saw a woman 
 who had lived and suffered, a woman as in- 
 tense as she was delicate in all her moods. 
 
 She was clad in a bewilderingly feminine 
 
 peignoir of lace and embroidery, open at the 
 
 neck, and covered with another long, 
 
 straightly hanging garment of shimmering 
 
 8 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 pale-green silk, richly decorated with odd 
 patterns. This gave her to my wondering 
 eyes quite the appearance of a medieval 
 princess, or the heroine of some old fairy 
 tale. The impression was intensified by the 
 long chain she wore, set with fire opals which 
 flashed in the candle-light. From it, below 
 her waist, there hung a golden star. 
 
 And,, strangest of all, most provocative to 
 my fancy, she also appeared, with extraordi- 
 nary sympathy, almost with prescience, to 
 feel something of my wonder as she paused 
 and stood silent, retarding her greeting, in 
 answer to my unspoken thought. While our 
 eyes held each other in that marvelous com- 
 munion, she did not smile; it was rather from 
 her quivering mouth that I got the idea that 
 she, too, was touched by the spell, and was 
 keenly alive to the potentiality of the situa- 
 tion. She seemed to hold her breath lest the 
 wonder should pass too soon. 
 
 That moment was as sublimely unreal as 
 anything I have ever known, and, within its 
 unmeasurable limits, as potent. It was tense, 
 
 9 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 instinct with fine, secret emotions too faint 
 for analysis. Messages came and went, elec- 
 tric. It was, in short, the psychological mo- 
 ment that comes but once to any friendship, 
 and, coming, is usually hurried past without 
 appreciation of its mysterious charm. It 
 was that most suggestive of preludes, an in- 
 stinctive, conscious pause upon the magic 
 threshold of Romance. That she felt its 
 quality also overpowered me. The minute 
 passed like a falling star, and in its glory we 
 seemed to travel miles together. 
 
 Then, with a visible effort, she spoke. 
 
 Her voice was light and clear, so expres- 
 sively modulated that I have, despite myself, 
 to compare it only to fairy footsteps passing 
 over flower-tops. Its tones poised and hov- 
 ered as if on the wing, though they were as 
 sure as the melody of an old song. It was, 
 above all else, graceful, and usually it held a 
 trace of mental eagerness, but its character- 
 istic quality came more from delicate nuances 
 of feeling than from any vibrant intensity. 
 It had the fluidity of running water. 
 10 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 With her first word she smiled, and some 
 of the melancholy escaped from her eyes. 
 
 "Oh, you are better now! I'm so glad!" 
 
 The silver thread of magic that had bound 
 as was broken, and the episode became real 
 and humorous on the instant. I could not 
 help smiling in my turn, for assuredly, from 
 my point of view, I was, physically, decidedly 
 the worse. I took it from her, by her re- 
 mark, that I had been ill. 
 
 "Yes," I replied, "I suppose I must be 
 better, since you say so, but I seem to be 
 quite bad enough. How long have I been 
 here! " 
 
 "Twenty-four hours. You have been a 
 little delirious, you know. I was getting 
 quite anxious about you, though the doctor 
 said there was no danger." 
 
 She came nearer, and put her small beau- 
 tiful hand upon my cheek. I noticed that 
 she wore no rings. The touch of her fingers 
 was soft and cool. 
 
 "I'm glad your fever has gone," she said, 
 "Have you much pain?" 
 11 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I felt sore all over, and there was trouble 
 with my side when I moved ; my head seemed 
 to be splitting. But I was so much more in- 
 terested in her, and how I came to be there, 
 that I dismissed my symptoms with a shrug, 
 and asked what had happened. 
 
 "You were thrown from your automo- 
 bile, " she said, "and you were pretty badly 
 shaken up. There was a rib broken, and a 
 slight concussion of the brain, I believe, but 
 nothing serious. You'll have to stay here 
 several days, at least, and keep quiet. Doc- 
 tor Copin had to go back to town, and I must 
 notify him that you are all right now. You 
 mustn't fret about it, for you are perfectly 
 welcome to stay here and it won't trouble us 
 in the least. Only I'm afraid you'll be ter- 
 ribly bored. It's quiet here, and I'll be 
 rather dull company." 
 
 "I'm not worrying, I assure you," I said. 
 "I'm in no hurry to get well." 
 
 She smiled again, faintly but with a quick 
 appreciation, and took a seat in an arm-chair 
 which stood beside my bed. I caught a 
 12 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 glimpse of a green silk stocking and an ex- 
 quisitely small foot in a fantastically shaped 
 slipper. She went on: 
 
 * ' I have been a good deal troubled because 
 we have, of course, no idea who you are. I 
 was afraid that some of your friends might 
 be alarmed about you. So, if there is any 
 one we can notify, or send for, give me the 
 address and the message, and I'll send it over 
 to the telegraph office at the Harbor, or I can 
 telephone for you, if there 's any one in town. 
 Doctor Copin could call and explain your 
 condition, if you prefer. ' ' 
 
 As she leaned her face on her slender hand 
 and looked at me, she added: "Your motor 
 has been taken care of, so you needn't worry 
 about that. Uncle Jerdon hauled it into 
 the stable, and it can stay there until you 
 have a chance to have it repaired." 
 
 "You were good to take me in and to get 
 a doctor," I said, watching the tiny vertical 
 lines come and go in her forehead. 
 
 "Oh, Doctor Copin happened to be with 
 me when you were brought in by Uncle 
 13 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Jerdon. I really don't know how you man- 
 aged to escape with your life." 
 
 "I didn't deserve to escape. I was run- 
 ning considerably over the speed limit, I 
 imagine. I wanted to get back to town 
 early." How much rather would I have dis- 
 cussed the queer little corners of her lips 
 that changed so distractingly, and the trans- 
 parent shadow under her cheek-bone that 
 spiritualized her whole expression now and 
 again ! 
 
 "Oh, I must take your message!" she ex- 
 claimed, a little embarrassed by the pause 
 that had fallen. 
 
 She rose and went over to an antique sec- 
 retary, bringing back a pad of paper and a 
 pencil. Eeseating herself, she waited for 
 me to dictate. I thought a while and then 
 gave her a short report of my condition to be 
 sent to my partner. Having written this 
 down she went out of the room quietly, leav- 
 ing the candle with me. No sooner had she 
 left than my pain returned. For the time I 
 had forgotten all about it. 
 14 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 In spite of this, the thought of her filled me 
 with a restful peace. I didn't in the least 
 want to know who she was, so long as I might 
 see her, and hear her talk to me in that 
 smooth, melodious, eager voice, whose sound 
 had established her convincingly as a lady of 
 rare promise. The prospect of having to 
 spend several days in her society, or at least 
 near her, was as pleasant a thought as I could 
 well imagine. The fruit of our moment was 
 a mystery, rich and fragrant, which I wished 
 only not to destroy. I found myself trying, 
 in her absence, to recall each feature of her 
 face, her poses, and her hands so keenly alive 
 and full of graceful gesture. That I did not 
 wonder who she was what was her name, 
 her situation, her history came, perhaps, 
 from the state of bodily weakness in which 
 my accident had left me, but it seemed to me 
 then that it was not merely the passivity of 
 my physical state ; it was an epicurean joy I 
 took in tasting my impressions drop by drop. 
 
 Meanwhile, as I thought it all over, my 
 eyes wandered over that part of the room 
 15 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 visible in the candle-light, from the four- 
 posted bed in which I lay, and almost uncon- 
 sciously I noted the many evidences of taste 
 and wealth. The furniture was all of an- 
 tique style, undoubtedly genuine specimens 
 of the best designs of the later colonial 
 period. 
 
 The Japanese prints were the only pic- 
 tures visible that I could see. They seemed 
 like Utamaro's and Hiroshige's mostly, 
 though near by were a couple of Yoshitora's 
 and Toyokuni's brilliant actresses, veritable 
 riots of color against the dull green of the 
 wall. The floor was of oak parquetry, cov- 
 ered with Persian rugs of what I knew to be 
 rare weaves. Altogether, the room had, in 
 its severe formal way, the dignity of a mu- 
 seum. 
 
 She came back, after about ten minutes, 
 with a tray of toast and tea, a jar of Bar-le- 
 duc, and the most appetizing of lamb chops. 
 
 "Do you feel hungry f " she asked, setting 
 the tray down upon a stand at the head of 
 the bed. 
 
 16 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 As I .assented most heartily, she leaned 
 over and propped the pillows up behind my 
 back, and then set the silver salver before 
 me on the spread. Drawing up her chair, 
 she sat down near enough to pour the tea and 
 hand me what else I required. As she did so 
 I noted the delicate way she held everything 
 she touched her fingers slightly parted na- 
 turally, curling like an acanthus leaf. 
 
 "Yon say that I have been out of my 
 head?" I began. 
 
 "Yes, at intervals, since yesterday after- 
 noon." 
 
 "I dimly remember it, now. Yes, it was 
 curious. Somehow, though, it seems to me 
 that there were two women here, though 
 never at the same time, I think but no 
 doubt I got it all mixed up. ' ' 
 
 She looked down quickly, as if confused, 
 but she replied, "Oh, it must have been Leah, 
 the other one. She's my maid; or, per- 
 haps, rather more my companion. You must 
 see her. I think she's wonderful. I wonder 
 if you will! " She made the last remark 
 17 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 under her breath, as if she spoke to herself 
 rather than to me. 
 
 She went to the door and called, "Leah!" 
 | So few persons can raise their voices pretti- 
 ly, that I was delighted to hear it sound as 
 musical as when she spoke to me. As she 
 returned, the light shone on her soft-flowing, 
 silken gown, making it loo'k like frosted sil- 
 ver. In a few moments Leah entered the 
 room, bearing a lighted lamp. 
 
 I was surprised, I confess, after what my 
 hostess had said, perhaps as a test of my sen- 
 sibility, to see that the maid was a negress, 
 but, after giving her my first glance, I was 
 still more surprised to see that she was of a 
 kind one seldom sees, the best type, in fact, 
 of Northern negro. As she approached us 
 she had the bearing of a woman of great re- 
 finement and a face which, though uncom- 
 promisingly dark, showed an extraordinary 
 mental if not moral caste. Her skin was a 
 warm brown, something of the color of a 
 Samoan, though more reddish than mulatto 
 in tinge. This, I found afterward, was the 
 18 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 result of a remote crossing with American 
 Indian blood ; it was just enough to enrich the 
 color, and to keep down some of the ne- 
 groid fullness of the lips and modify the 
 orispness of her curling hair. Leah might, 
 indeed, be considered beautiful; what could 
 not, at least, be denied, was the impression 
 of character which was stamped upon her. 
 It was patent in her face, her carriage and 
 her voice. I watched her in admiration. 
 There was a neatness and an immaculate 
 cleanness about her, and I could easily un- 
 derstand how my hostess might regard her 
 as a friend. 
 
 Leah's affection for her mistress was evi- 
 dent by the sympathetic manner in which she 
 listened, and by the softness of her look 
 when her eyes fell on my hostess. There 
 was in that look more than the traditional 
 fondness of a negro "mammy" for her 
 charge. I felt immediately one of those 
 quick reactions one sometimes has with serv- 
 ants, or with other persons whom social cus- 
 toms have relegated to a conventionally 
 19 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 inferior position. It was a case of spiritual 
 noblesse oblige. Seeing her so fine, so sen- 
 sitive, so tactful, I was myself put uncon- 
 sciously upon my best behavior. I could not 
 forget this in any look or any word I gave 
 her. I was constantly watching myself lest 
 I, a guest, a man of a dominant race, should, 
 in consideration and in delicacy, fall behind 
 this servant, this negress. It was a curious 
 delicacy she seemed to enforce. 
 
 I can give this effect of Leah upon me, but it 
 is not so easy to describe the cause. She ef- 
 faced herself, she kept her place rarely. But 
 with all this, she radiated she had a potent 
 personality. She put down the lamp, she 
 straightened the covers of my bed, answered 
 a few questions, speaking in a rich contralto 
 voice, and went out. That was all. But in 
 those few moments she had impressed me. 
 
 It was, no doubt, because of my enjoyment 
 in watching, silently, what went on, that gave 
 my companion the idea that I was exhausted. 
 She apparently inferred that I wished to be 
 left alone, and, rising, she took the tray from 
 20 
 
THE WHITE CAT, 
 
 my lap and set it down while she readjusted 
 my pillows. Then, removing a little silver 
 Nuremberg bell, she took up the tray again, 
 and rose to leave me. 
 
 "I'll leave the bell here at the head of 
 your bed, Mr. Castle, " she said (she had 
 learned my name, of course, when she took 
 my message), "and Leah will be glad to do 
 anything for you that you wish." 
 
 As she turned, she looked back, smiling. 
 
 "Oh, I haven't told you my own name, yet, 
 have I? I'm Miss Fielding Joy Fielding. 
 There's nobody here but Leah and me, ex- 
 cept Uncle Jerdon, our man-of-all-work, and 
 King, the Chinaman. Midmeadows is a lone- 
 ly place, though it's lovely in the summer. 
 Well, I hope you'll be able to sleep well, and 
 be much better in the morning. I'll hope to 
 see you then. Good night." She left me 
 after placing the lamp just out of sight. 
 
 Later, Leah entered, bringing me some 
 
 books to read, in case I should be wakeful. 
 
 I dipped into them all immediately, seeking 
 
 for further evidence of Miss Fielding's taste. 
 
 21 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 One was of poems, one of essays, one of short 
 stories, and one a novel. 
 
 The house was silent. I heard nothing 
 until quite late, when the two women came 
 up-stairs to retire. By their voices and foot- 
 steps, I made out that Leah slept in the room 
 next to mine, and Miss Fielding across the 
 hall, farther off. There was some soft con- 
 versation, Leah's voice deep and rich, Miss 
 Fielding's rising several notes above, always 
 with that fluttering, delicate quality which I 
 had noticed. Then the doors closed, and I 
 heard nothing more except, somewhere be- 
 low, a heavy rhythmic snoring which I as- 
 sumed came from Uncle Jerdon's room. 
 
 There came to me now one of those weary, 
 irksome vigils of the sick, when the darkness 
 and the pain seem to cooperate to stretch out 
 the hours to infinite lengths. I tried one po- 
 sition and another, I lighted the candle and 
 put it out again, but my discomfort and my 
 sleeplessness persisted. I could think of 
 nothing else but Joy Fielding, Joy Fielding, 
 Joy Fielding! I think that a little of my de- 
 22 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 lirium returned, also ; but all through my tor- 
 ment I kept repeating to myself that I did 
 not want to know who she was. I refused to 
 speculate upon that, except in ways that were 
 romantic and fantastic. "What matter-of- 
 fact, commonplace explanation of her life 
 there might be, I wanted to hold off as long 
 as possible. 
 
 23 
 
 
n 
 
 I was awakened early by the sunshine 
 which came pouring across my bed from the 
 window opposite, lighting up the white wains- 
 coting and showing the room now, clean and 
 brightly distinct to the least detail of the 
 crisp Japanese prints upon the wall. 
 
 One sash and the window-shade had been 
 left up, and I could see the slope of a hill 
 which rose behind the house, seeming to shut 
 the place in. The other window was filled 
 with the waving boughs of an apple-tree. 
 The day was fine and balmy ; the fresh air of 
 the morning swept deliciously over my bed. 
 It was maddening to have to lie there help- 
 less. 
 
 Before long I heard doors opening and clos- 
 ing below, and the sounds of preparations 
 for breakfast the rattling of a stove, a 
 pump that squeaked whimsically like a bray- 
 24 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ing donkey, the clatter of pots and pans, 
 and a Chinaman's voice singing in a queer 
 falsetto. With the odors of flowers and damp 
 earth the smell of coffee came up to me, min- 
 gled, too, with a whiff from the stable. Then 
 the clock, whose hourly chimes had measured 
 for me the slow march of the night, struck 
 seven with a peal of golden notes. 
 
 I heard footsteps come up-stairs to the hall 
 outside my half opened door. There was a 
 soft tapping across the way, and Leah's voice 
 asked quietly: 
 
 "What would you like for breakfast, Miss 
 Joy?" 
 
 I could just make out the reply in Miss 
 Fielding's blithe tones: 
 
 "Oh, just a couple of butterflies' wings, 
 Leah, and a drop of rose-dew, please." 
 
 How prettily it sounded ! From another it 
 might have seemed silly to me, but not from 
 her. I was amused at her fancy. Miss 
 Fielding, then, was a poet. It was all so in 
 key with the freshness of the morning and 
 the gay sweet sunshine! 
 25 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I was more comfortable now, and more 
 sane. So, as I lay awaiting her, I wondered 
 how such a woman, so instinct with refine- 
 ment and with the air of having had consid- 
 erable social experience, was to be found in 
 so far-away a place. I knew of no residences 
 in this vicinity except an occasional farm- 
 house ; it was remote even from any village. 
 The sight of her as she appeared last night 
 in her elegant negligee came back to me, like 
 the scene of a play. I longed to see her again, 
 to discover if, perhaps, I had not exagger- 
 ated it all, or even, perhaps, had dreamed of 
 one so exquisitely gracious. 
 
 Leah, also, was a part of the strangeness. 
 She had none of the disturbing beauty of the 
 quadroon her beauty was without diablerie, 
 it was far from showing any sensuality. It 
 was even spiritual in type. Her face, as I 
 brought it up, was more than intelligent, it 
 was lighted by an inward vision. The more I 
 thought of 'her, the more I wondered if I had 
 not been tricked by my impressionability, by 
 the strangeness of my adventure, by the gla- 
 26 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 mour of the night awakening. To put it io the 
 test, I took advantage of Miss Fielding's 
 suggestion and rang the hell. 
 
 Leah appeared in a few moments, and came 
 a little shyly into the room. She wore a 
 clean, fresh, crisp gown of blue, like a hospi- 
 tal nurse's uniform, and was as trim and 
 dignified. No, I had not heen mistaken. 
 The light of day showed her still more re- 
 markable than I had remembered. Her 
 regular features, her smooth, coffee-colored 
 skin, her well-kept shapely hands, all testi- 
 fied to an extraordinary breeding. 
 
 "Are you ready for your breakfast, sir?" 
 she asked. Her voice was like honey as she 
 inquired how I had passed the night, and 
 apologized for Uncle Jerdon's snoring. 
 
 "I'll bring your water first," she suggest- 
 ed, and retired noiselessly, to return in a 
 moment with a bowl, some towels and toilet 
 articles. 
 
 She seemed a little embarrassed by the 
 situation, but assisted me in sitting up. 
 Then, finding that I could do for myself well 
 27 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 enough, she went down-stairs, and by the 
 time I had finished my washing, she was back 
 with the tray. 
 
 "'Miss Joy will be in to see you in a little 
 while, sir," she said as she made me com- 
 fortable with dexterous adjustments of my 
 pillows. 
 
 But for her "sir," she had in no way acted 
 as a servant, though, on the other hand, she 
 had assumed no attitude of equality. I could 
 not help admiring the fine neutrality she 
 maintained without committing herself to 
 either role. All my first impressions of her 
 were intensified by this demeanor, and I 
 awaited the opportunity of assuring her by 
 my own manner of my lack of prejudice on 
 account of her color. Indeed, it was not long 
 before I was almost as unconscious of it, so 
 far as any social distinction was concerned, 
 as a child might have been. 
 
 Miss Fielding came in a little later, dewy 
 and shining, dressed all in white an em- 
 broidered linen blouse and a short skirt of 
 serge, which made her seem even younger 
 28 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 than I had remembered. The sight of her 
 expressive, thoughtful, eager face, and the 
 music in her sympathetic voice gave my room 
 quite another aspect. It became a stage 
 again where last night's drama would go on. 
 How long I had waited for her, and now she 
 was come! Only an invalid, perhaps, can 
 understand the difference in atmosphere in 
 that first quick sight of an expected delight- 
 ful presence to one who has waited for the 
 weary hours to go by and bring the wished- 
 for vision. 
 
 She made a few kind inquiries as to my 
 condition, moving meanwhile about the room, 
 disposing of the fresh roses she had brought, 
 lowering the window-sashes and raising the 
 shades, rapid and graceful as a bird on the 
 wing. She was all modern, now; the me- 
 dieval princess had given place to something 
 more complex, and as much more interesting. 
 Every word, every inflection of her voice, 
 every gesture of her hand, every expression 
 of her mobile face showed subtlety of thought 
 and sentiment; she was obviously a creature 
 29 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 of fine distinctions, of nuances of feeling, 
 though at present her talk was as simple and 
 joyous as a child's. That simplicity of hers, 
 however, was the simplicity of a Greek tem- 
 ple, made up of subtle ratios and proportions, 
 of imperceptible curves and esoteric laws. 
 
 She drew up a chair, at last, and sat down 
 beside me. We looked at each other frankly, 
 and smiled, aware of a common thought, the 
 desire to prolong the situation as far as we 
 might. This quickness of her imagination 
 was a delight. But the game was becoming 
 too humorous, now, in broad daylight, for us 
 to keep it up. Our romance was in danger. 
 
 "I'm bursting with the obvious," I re- 
 marked. 
 
 She shook her finger at me with spirit. 
 "If you dare !" 
 
 "Oh, I'll not be the first. Man though I 
 am, I can restrain my curiosity. ' ' 
 
 How quickly her face changed ! An almost 
 infantile look came into it, as she said: 
 
 "There are so many more curious things 
 than curiosity, if you know what I mean. 
 30 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Curiosity is such a destructive process, don't 
 you think ?" 
 
 "And this is creative? The not satisfying 
 it, I mean." 
 
 "Yes, wonder is and mystery. It rami- 
 fies so. It splits the ray." She made a 
 queer, mystical gesture, all her own. 
 
 "Oh, it quite blossoms!" I said. "I 
 breathe all sorts of perfumes never smelt." 
 
 Her eager look came back, and she smiled 
 joyously. " How quick you are ! I wish we 
 could keep it up a while ! I should have liked 
 to marry Bluebeard ! What a splendid dowry 
 he gave ! Oh, I would never have opened the 
 door I There was so much more outside than 
 in, wasn't there? But now the role is yours ; 
 you must be Bluebeard's wife or Robinson 
 Crusoe. Oh, you must stay on the island 
 this island with me, and not try to get off. 
 There are a few little places we can explore 
 without danger will you be satisfied with 
 them?" 
 
 Somehow I got the spirit of it, as at hear- 
 ing some words of a strange language elo- 
 31 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 quently spoken. She was warning me off 
 but from what! I would find out soon 
 enough, should the meaning need to he made 
 more definite. It was like a game of jack- 
 straws; if I did not play gingerly I should 
 hring down the commonplace upon us. My 
 situation was delicate it almost seemed that 
 I had arrived, in some way, inopportunely. 
 
 But she had gone on. "Did you read my 
 books ? ' ' she asked, taking up one of them. 
 
 "I read that one the poems. I got quite 
 lost in them." 
 
 "Which ones?" She looked up from the 
 book eagerly. 
 
 "The Journey, and, " I hesitated, " 
 The Riders." I was watching her face earn- 
 estly. 
 
 "Oh, how right you are!" She was per- 
 fectly simple about it. There was no conceit 
 in her. "It means, doesn't it, that we al- 
 ready have a language? But you must read 
 the essays, too. Then maybe we'll have a 
 philosophy." 
 
 " I '11 explore them with pleasure. ' ' I tried 
 32 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 to keep the appeal out of my voice. "I have 
 such a lot of things to do before I go. ' ' 
 
 She got this quite as I intended. "Well, 
 we'll be perfectly natural and let come what 
 may, as it seems to be all decided for us. We 
 won't force the game. But I'm afraid you'll 
 never be contented. You'll leave the island 
 first, I'm quite sure." 
 
 I protested ; she shook her head slowly. I 
 knew she was thinking very hard of some- 
 thing. Her smile was wistful, her eyes, al- 
 ways fixed on mine, were almost somber in 
 their expression. 
 
 "Would you dare promise ?" 
 
 I knew now there was something behind all 
 this ; some fear of my presence. 
 
 "Shall I?" I fenced, more to draw her on 
 than from any doubt of her meaning or re- 
 luctance to agree with her wish. 
 
 "It's base of me it's foolish, too, for it 
 can really do no good. But, you see, I don't 
 quite know you, do I!" 
 
 "And don't quite want to?" I was un- 
 kind enough to say, but only with the same 
 33 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 motive as before. I wanted to get at the bot- 
 tom of it find out what it was she dreaded, 
 and dared not acknowledge that she did. 
 
 She was a little hurt and said that it wasn't 
 fair to say so, that I wasn't playing the game. 
 I was properly contrite, and, for the moment, 
 gave up the duel. 
 
 "Let it be a promise, then," I said. 
 
 At this, I thought she looked relieved ; and 
 that she should be so at my bare word touched 
 me. It did cross my mind that, perceiv- 
 ing my adaptability to this sort of affair, she 
 might perhaps have taken an adventitious 
 means of heightening the romance of the sit- 
 uation with such innuendo ; but she seemed to 
 me to be altogether too direct for that, and 
 too sapient, as well. 
 
 ' ' Thank you. I may hold you to that prom- 
 ise. Does that seem ungracious I" 
 
 There it was. There was most definitely 
 something which she didn't wish me to know, 
 and which my advent jeoparded. I was truly 
 sorry for her now, and a little embarrassed 
 at my position. Meanwhile her eyes were 
 34 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 steadily questioning mine, as if to make sure 
 that I was to be trusted. I took up her last 
 remark to relieve the tensity of her mood. 
 
 "You couldn't be ungracious, I'm sure. I 
 should as soon suspect Leah!" 
 
 She laughed more freely. "Oh, I'm so 
 glad you appreciate her! That says more 
 for you than all the rest." 
 
 "The rest?" I insisted, quite ready for 
 a compliment.. 
 
 She gave it to me with her head a little on 
 one side, and her right eyebrow, the irregu- 
 lar one, whimsically upraised. 
 
 "Yes. Your keeping it up so well, you 
 know." 
 
 "Oh, I'll keep it up! It's the chief charm 
 of being here, flat on my back, in a strange 
 place. I'm sure it will be most amusing." 
 
 "I'm not so sure. I'm full of moods and 
 whims you're going to be terribly disap- 
 pointed in me sometimes though that sounds 
 like vanity and I may take advantage of 
 your complaisance, of your promise, that is. 
 I hope you won't regret it." 
 35 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 So it rested, my promise not to be too in- 
 quisitive (for I took its meaning to be that), 
 given and accepted. It quite whetted my 
 appetite, you may be sure. If all this talk 
 seems fine-spun, it is my fault in the telling 
 of it, for in the give-and-take we perfectly 
 understood each other. I can not, of course, 
 give her delicate inflections, but these, with 
 her looks and gestures, said as much as her 
 words. 
 
 But if this equivocal conversation was 
 vague and shadowy, she could pass into the 
 sunshine as deftly. She seemed to do so now, 
 as she rose and went to the open window and 
 whistled. A chorus of barks answered her. 
 She turned to me. 
 
 "I must go down to my dogs," she said. 
 "I wish you could see them that is, if you 
 like collies. I have five, all thoroughbreds 
 they're beauties! You'll have to get ac- 
 quainted with them as soon as you're able to 
 go down-stairs." 
 
 She leaned a little out of the window and 
 36 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 called, "Hi! Nokomis!" drawing out the 
 vowels. A deep bark responded. 
 
 ' i Hiawatha ! ' ' she called next, and she was 
 answered by a sharp, frenzied yelping. 
 "Minnehaha!" followed she almost sang 
 the name, which was replied to like the 
 others. Then Chevalier and John 'Groat 
 greeted her in turn. 
 
 "I'm going to take them for their morn- 
 ing run," she said, as she left me. "I'll ex- 
 amine you on the essays when I come back. ' ' 
 
 She went down, and soon after I heard her 
 talking, evidently to Uncle Jerdon and to 
 King. Then the barking rose ecstatically, 
 receded in the distance, and finally was lost. 
 I took up the essays and read for a while. 
 My head was much better, and my soreness 
 was slowly disappearing, but the constrained 
 positions I had to hold to keep my rib from 
 paining me made me too weary and impatient 
 to put my mind on my book. I could hardly 
 wait for Miss Fielding to return, and lay in- 
 ert, watching the flies drift lazily through 
 37 
 
THE WHITE CAT, 
 
 the sunshine that filled the room, hoping that 
 Leah, at least, might come in to break my 
 ennui. I welcomed even the hoarse, squeaky 
 cry of King's pump, the occasional crowing 
 of a rooster, the twittering of birds in the 
 apple-tree, and the many little homely sounds 
 of country life. The fragrant perfume of the 
 roses in the room was a blessed reminder of 
 Miss Fielding's kindness. 
 
 In a half-hour, I heard the dogs approach- 
 ing, and she came into the room again, hat- 
 less, bringing a new breath of June with her. 
 Her hair was blown to a silky veil through 
 which her eyes shone and her rosy cheeks 
 glowed as she smiled at me over the foot- 
 board of my bed. Throwing off her little 
 white bolero, a saucy thing with black velvet 
 collar and cuffs, she went to the mirror and 
 gathered up the loose strands of hair, tuck- 
 ing them in, here and there, with deft touches 
 of her fingers, and adjusting them with dark 
 tortoise-shell pins, until her little head, 
 coiffed high, was as smooth as a cat's. 
 
 She came up to the bedside and was quick 
 38 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 to notice by my nervous movements that I 
 was ^suffering. Sitting down she began to 
 tell gaily of her walk over the hill, and, as 
 she spoke, my aching was calmed as if she 
 had laid a finger on the electric switch that 
 controlled it. Then she suggested reading 
 to me, and took up the volume of poems we 
 had discussed. 
 
 Her voice was not quite intense enough 
 for strong emotion ; it had not the momentum, 
 so to speak, to carry the lines along with the 
 swing and rhythm necessary. It was too light 
 for that, but it more than made up for it by 
 its sympathetic tenderness and the delicacy 
 of its inflection. Her tones lulled me, and I 
 fell asleep. 
 
 In the afternoon she brought her mending, 
 and we talked for a couple of hours or so, 
 always keeping, as she expressed it, "on the 
 island." What personalities we discussed, 
 that is, had no reference to her history or her 
 plans. She warned me off very cleverly sev 
 eral times when the talk approached her cir- 
 cumstances or even her moods and tastes. 
 39 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 When she confessed that she played a little 
 on the piano and violin, I positively insisted 
 upon my rights as an invalid to be amused. 
 She rolled up her work and went to get her 
 violin without excuses or apologies. 
 
 I waited with considerable anxiety to hear 
 what and how she would play, not committing 
 myself as to my own choice of composers. 
 She began in her own room, and through the 
 opened doors I heard the strains of the Prize 
 Song played with great verve and sentiment. 
 I was delighted. She came, still playing, into 
 my chamber, her sleeves rolled up (she said 
 she could not play else), and accepted my 
 compliments graciously and simply. Then, 
 walking up and down, absorbed, she gave me 
 fragments of Cesar Franck's sonata for the 
 violin and piano. To watch her, supple, vir- 
 ile, rapt, to note her clever, accomplished 
 technique, her passionate, free-armed com- 
 mand of the bow I have seldom seen such a 
 splendid attack or so sure and true a vibrato 
 was a joy beautifully associated with the 
 clarity and subtle craftsmanship of the mas- 
 ter. 
 
 40 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 So she ran on, alternating her renditions 
 with scraps of talk that showed a keen mu- 
 sical sense and an appreciation of the radi- 
 cal, ultra-modern movement of the time. Next 
 she burst into a vibrant, dramatic Polish folk- 
 song that excited me like a fire. And finally, 
 as a tour de force, her eyes dancing as she 
 watched me over her shoulder with some new 
 audacious devil .in her smile, she enchanted 
 me with a vivid piece most astonishingly 
 enlivened with flights of technique trills, 
 brilliant chord passages, and runs with the 
 upward and downward "staccato bow." 
 Then she threw down her fiddle and came up 
 to me, laughing. 
 
 That evening she had another delight for 
 me, coming to my bedside and reading Villon 
 and Verlaine in the original, translating the 
 old French for me when I was perplexed by 
 the argot. And for the picture, I need only 
 add that Leah was of the circle, and made 
 her own comments ! 
 
Ill 
 
 There was, next morning, a little dialogue 
 much like that which I had overheard the 
 day before, except that this time it was 
 ' ' stewed rose-leaves with a small pot of sun- 
 shine," which Miss Fielding was fanciful 
 enough to demand. I wondered what, after 
 such a pleasantly, she did have; for I took 
 it to be some joke between her and Leah, who, 
 no doubt, translated the metaphor into some- 
 thing more substantial. 
 
 As I ate breakfast, I could hear Miss 
 Fielding singing in her room. She came in 
 before I had finished my egg and coffee, 
 bringing an armful of new magazines. This 
 time she was dressed in pongee and wore a 
 short string of graduated white coral beads 
 which was mimicked, when she smiled, by her 
 little teeth. 
 
 42 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I've found out about you quite by 
 cident, though, Mr. Castle, really," she said 
 gaily; and, opening one of the magazines, 
 she tapped with her hand the picture of a 
 country house my firm had just rather suc- 
 cessfully completed. "So you're an archi- 
 tect! And I'm the first to get off the island, 
 after all!" 
 
 "It doesn't matter, I suppose, so long as 
 I stay on?" I asked. 
 
 "Oh, this doesn't by any means absolve you 
 of your promise," she answered, examining 
 the illustration carefully, still standing at the 
 foot of the bed. 
 
 "You aren't really very much wiser, are 
 you? There are architects and architects, 
 you know." 
 
 "Yes," she said, apparently thinking of 
 something else. "Quite as there are women 
 and women," she added, turning over the 
 pages idly. 
 
 "There's only one of your sort!" I ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 A queer smile passed and was repressed 
 43 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 upon her lips, molding them into new curves. 
 "Yes, only one of me." 
 
 "I don't exactly mean that, either, " I went 
 on. "The fact is, rather, that there is more 
 than one of me. There's the architect and 
 the man in me and how many more ! One 
 is always astonishing the others. Aren't 
 there, after all, several of you, Miss Field- 
 ing! " 
 
 She gave me a frightened glance, then 
 tossed the magazine on the bed. It wasn't 
 petulance ; she seemed to be disturbed at the 
 subject. 
 
 ' ' Oh, I 'm only a White Cat ! ' ' she said cryp- 
 tically. 
 
 She seemed anything but that, to me. 
 
 "I'll tell you about it sometime per- 
 haps," she added. "But not now." 
 
 She stood with her hands behind her back, 
 raising herself on her toes, and changed the 
 subject. "I'm awfully anxious to show you 
 this house, now that I know you're an archi- 
 tect. It's one of the oldest hereabout, and it 
 was a wreck when I bought it. I've had it all 
 44 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 done over inside, and I shall expect you to 
 compliment me on my taste, for it's mainly 
 my own ideas." 
 
 "What I've seen of it is charming but a 
 bit impersonal, perhaps." 
 
 "Oh, this is only the guest-chamber. One 
 doesn't inflict one's ideas on the transient vis- 
 itor. Of course this is a bloodless, sexless 
 place. You'll find personality enough in my 
 room, I fancy. I hope you'll be able to get 
 down-stairs by day after to-morrow, and 
 have a chance to look about at the place. I'm 
 sure you'll love Midmeadows. I'm expecting 
 the doctor down here this afternoon, and 
 he'll probably be able to tell you how long 
 you'll have to stay. I do hope you won't 
 get well too fast, Mr. Castle." 
 
 ' ' Trust me for that, ' ' I said. ' ' I give you 
 fair notice, I shall probably do some malin- 
 gering. But I shall be glad to see the doctor, 
 if only to make sure that I can impose on 
 him." 
 
 My heart sank, nevertheless, at the thought 
 of his interruption of our idyl. I felt an 
 45 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 illogical right to her by discovery, a certain 
 franchise in her good graces that Fate her- 
 self had given me. The possible weakening 
 of our alliance, however, was only the nega- 
 tive side of my annoyance. The positive as- 
 pect was that Doctor Copin seemed to be an 
 old acquaintance, even a friend; for Miss 
 Fielding had mentioned that she was going 
 to walk over to the Harbor to meet him. It 
 was possible, even and the idea was poison 
 that she was in love with him. Well, I 
 must needs wait and see him before I de- 
 cided as to that chance. 
 
 I asked her to call her dogs again, and, see- 
 ing that it might amuse me, she offered to 
 bring Nokomis, the best-behaved, and matron 
 of the kennel, up to see me. I accepted 
 eagerly, and, from the window, she called 
 her favorite. 
 
 Nokomis was one of the most beautiful col- 
 lies I have ever seen, a tawny red, or sable, 
 with white ruff, feet, and tail-point. Her 
 head was very finely shaped not too dull for 
 keenness, nor with too much of the silly grey- 
 46 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 hound's tapering muzzle, as not a few flat- 
 headed prize-winners, bred chiefly for color 
 and coat, have. She had dark brown eyes 
 set with that obliqueness that gives the breed 
 its characteristic look of brightness, kindness 
 and craft. Her small ears, as she entered, 
 were semi-erect, giving her, as she stopped 
 with her head slightly on one side, the sharp, 
 doubtful expression of the fox. She came 
 with her flag up, as if she were on exhibition 
 before judges, marched to Miss Fielding and 
 waited for orders. 
 
 "Isn't she a darling ?" Miss Fielding said 
 affectionately, rubbing her pet's neck. "You 
 hasn't got flappy, saddle-bag ears and a high 
 forehead and a velvet jacket, has you! I 
 don't see no snipey nose! Hasn't she got an 
 'honest, sonsie, bawsint face,' Mr. Castle? 
 Only it isn't 'bawsint.' And look at her 
 gawcie tail, wi' upward curl!' She has 
 old Cockie herself for an ancestor, sHe has!" 
 
 Nokomis gravely stood on her hind legs 
 with her forepaws on her mistress' skirt, 
 panting smiling, I might well say. Then, 
 47 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 in obedience to a word and a gesture, she 
 dropped and came over to me in so dignified 
 and friendly a way that I fell promptly in 
 love with her. Her outer coat was abundant, 
 straight and stiff, the under one so thick and 
 soft and furry that I could not find the skin. 
 Her ruff was magnificent, her chest deep and 
 strong. I was sure she would be a good 
 worker ; her wit had already been proved. 
 
 'Miss Fielding was pleased with my appre- 
 ciation, and consented to having Nokomis re- 
 main, and so, for the rest of the day, except 
 for occasional inquisitive excursions, she lay 
 on the floor beside my bed, thumping her tail 
 and listening attentively whenever I looked 
 down to speak to her. 
 
 Early in the afternoon Miss Fielding put 
 on a fresh linen waist and corduroy skirt to 
 set out for the station. Before she went she 
 moved about the room, readjusting the flow- 
 ers, drawing a shade or two which threatened 
 to let the sun into my eyes, renewing my 
 pitcher of water and so on, giving me in five 
 minutes a dozen evidences of her tact, 
 48 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 thoughtfulness and consideration. Then, 
 with a last warning to Nokomis to take good 
 care of me, she went away, leaving the apart- 
 ment depressingly empty. 
 
 Leah came in occasionally, however, to see 
 if I was comfortable, but I could get little 
 talk from her. She answered all my ques- 
 tions, looking at me with her melting, deep 
 brown eyes, which were really not a little like 
 those of old Nokomis, but volunteering no 
 remark of her own. Between the two I man- 
 aged to be fairly patient till, at about three 
 o'clock, Miss Fielding returned with the doc- 
 tor. I was aware of their approach for some 
 time before they arrived by the joyous bark- 
 ing of the collies in front of the stable. At 
 this Nokomis pricked up her ears, but was too 
 well-bred to pay more attention. I had 
 laughed at her for yawning wide with her 
 wolf-like jaws, and she was sensitively on her 
 dignity. 
 
 Doctor Copin was tall and thin and younger 
 than I had expected ; and like most young doc- 
 tors he attempted to make much of his years 
 49 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 by a pointed, reddish beard. Nature bad as- 
 sisted him in this attempt, also, by removing 
 enough of his hair to give him a shiny bald 
 forehead almost to the crown of his head, 
 and making him near-sighted enough to re- 
 quire strong eye-glasses. But all this could 
 not induce me to think him more than twenty- 
 seven or eight years of age. His eyes were 
 of that china blue which, with red hair, is so 
 apt to give a selfish, heartless expression, 
 which went very well with his general blood- 
 lessness. Except for those protruding blue 
 eyes he might, with his yellowy-brown suit 
 and his slender, long hands, have been an ani- 
 mated caricature, done in red chalk. Worst 
 of all, to my mind, he made puns. 
 
 He approached me with the jocose air af- 
 fected by physicians, and looked me over with 
 a grin. I could see, under his sparse beard, 
 that he had a lizard chin receding comically. 
 
 "Well, Mr. Castle, " he said, "I expect you 
 
 haven't been climbing any more trees with 
 
 your machine lately, have you? Feeling like 
 
 Adam, after the creation of Eve, with that 
 
 50 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 fourth rib of yours 1 Let me have a feel of it. 
 Ah!" 
 
 He prodded me a little. "Well, we're do- 
 ing so-so, ' ' he went on. ' ' If you were a foot- 
 ball player you'd be up in five minutes. 
 How's the head? I suppose you haven't had 
 quite such a big one since you put on long 
 pants. You're not having many long pants 
 these days, I fancy, with that cracked bone in 
 your chest, are you?" And so on. I tried 
 to smile, and did not succeed till I had caught 
 sight of Miss Fielding's face frowning over 
 his shoulder. 
 
 I was doing well, it seemed. It was noth- 
 ing but a matter of time and patience. The 
 worst of it was the shaking up, and for that, 
 rest was all that was necessary. 
 
 I answered his pleasantries, asked him the 
 news in town, and thanked him for what he 
 had done, which, indeed, was not much. If 
 I have given the impression that he was an 
 ass, that was not at all how he impressed me. 
 Though he persistently refused to talk sense, 
 and turned everything I said into jest, I was 
 51 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ready enough to believe that he knew his busi- 
 ness and stood well in the profession. I got 
 little more than this however, for he soon left 
 for a talk likely a professional one, I im- 
 agined with my hostess. This lasted till, 
 after an early dinner, he left the house to be 
 driven back to the station by Uncle Jerdon. 
 Idle and bored as I was, while alone, I specu- 
 lated upon his relations with Miss Fielding; 
 but from what I had seen I could hardly re- 
 gard him as a rival. Still, I knew well 
 enough that one could not predicate from a 
 man's appearance how women might like him. 
 Doctor Copin would not be here in attend- 
 ance, much less as a visitor, unless there was 
 some value in him. He evidently knew the 
 place well enough to have been at Midmead- 
 ows often. It made me, for no particular 
 reason that I could name, uncomfortable. 
 
 It was still and warm, the beginning of 
 the hush of twilight, the birds' chattering 
 quieted, when voices came plainly up to me 
 through the open window beside my bed. 
 Miss Fielding and the doctor were coming 
 52 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 round a corner of the house on their way to 
 the stable. 
 
 "I wish when she comes, next time, you'd 
 have Leah let me know," I heard Doctor Co- 
 pin say earnestly. 
 
 "I won't promise to do that," was her re- 
 
 piy. 
 
 "Why not?" he asked sharply. 
 
 "Why do you want to know?" she asked. 
 
 "You know well enough. You know how 
 interested I am in her." 
 
 "I wish I did!" 
 
 This was the last I could make out, for 
 they passed into the yard behind the house. 
 I heard the carriage drive off, and soon after 
 Miss Fielding's voice inside the house, calling 
 for Leah to come down. I thought that I de- 
 tected a strain of excitement, even of alarm in 
 her tones. 
 
 A half-hour afterward, she came into my 
 room with a chess-board, and asked me if I 
 played the game. I was delighted to try it 
 with her, though I was poor enough at it, and 
 she beat me easily. 
 
 53 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 She was quite as charming as ever, but, as 
 I studied my strategy, she had time in the 
 silent pauses to fall into little moods of rev- 
 erie, letting the talk drop naturally. I was 
 not too absorbed in my play to notice it, and 
 once or twice I looked up from the board to 
 see her face show a tragic expression, clear- 
 ing, under my surveillance, with what seemed 
 to be a forced smile. The little lines near her 
 eyes seemed to have deepened since morning, 
 and two vertical ones came, at times, cutting 
 upright clefts between her brows. Once or 
 twice she put her hand to her head suddenly. 
 Her listlessness accented her grace, but she 
 seemed distinctly older. 
 
 After she had announced mate in three 
 moves she awaited my capitulation. Then 
 she put the board and men aside wearily. 
 
 "You'll find it desperately stupid here, I 
 know, Mr. Castle, " she began. "I wish we 
 could be more amusing, but I'm a bit blue to- 
 night." 
 
 "I only reproach myself for not being able 
 to make you forget it," I said. "As for my- 
 54 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 self, I always feel like the hero of a fairy tale 
 when you're about." 
 
 She gave her head a quick, backward shake, 
 as if to free her mind of some disturbing 
 thought. "Oh, I told you I was the White 
 Cat, you know!" she replied. "Can't you 
 imagine how interesting it must be for us to 
 have any one here at all, and you most espe- 
 cially? Why, I feel that you are a friend, al- 
 ready. If it hadn't been so, I shouldn't have 
 dared to confess so frankly that I'm de- 
 pressed." 
 
 "What can I possibly say of you, then, 
 who have proved yourself so friendly? I 
 shall be glad when it comes my turn to give, 
 and yours to receive." 
 
 "Oh, that time will come soon enough, I'm 
 afraid," she said, folding her hands in her 
 lap, and looking down at them. 
 
 1 i You make me quite long for it ! " 
 
 "Oh, don't long for it !" she exclaimed, and 
 
 then rose nervously to stand facing the lamp 
 
 with a fixed, entranced gaze. "It will mean, 
 
 perhaps, that I shall need all your sympathy, 
 
 55 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 all your charity," she added, turning, ever 
 so slowly, to look down at me. 
 
 "I will give anything yon ask " 
 
 "And I shall ask nothing," she put in 
 quickly. Again she threw her head back with 
 that quick, freeing gesture. I saw what she 
 meant. It would be put to my tact and intu- 
 ition. 
 
 She held out her hand impulsively and put 
 it into mine. It seemed very small and 
 slight, and it was cold. Then, summoning a 
 smile so rapid that it came and went in a 
 flash, she bade me good night and left the 
 room. 
 
 For fully an hour after that, I heard her 
 voice and Leah's in a steady, low conversa- 
 tion in the room across the hall. At nine, 
 Leah came in to adjust the light and see that 
 I wanted nothing. I fell into an uneasy 
 sleep, waking at every cock-crow. 
 
 56 
 
IV 
 
 The next day was harsh and cloudy. 
 There was a light fog in from the sea, 
 enough to make it a little cold, and to depress 
 my spirits. It was, therefore, with great im- 
 patience that I awaited the matutinal visit 
 from my hostess. She was usually up be- 
 times ; to-day she slept late. 
 
 It had already become one of my chief di- 
 versions to listen for the little morning col- 
 loquy in the hall, but to-day I heard nothing 
 till after eight o'clock, when Leah came up- 
 stairs, knocked on the opposite door, which 
 was always half -open at night, and put her 
 usual question. 
 
 Miss Fielding's voice came sharp and 
 clear, a little querulous. 
 
 "Oh, I'll have bacon and eggs, I think; 
 but wait a while, Leah; I'm sleepy and I 
 don't want to get up yet." 
 57 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Leah closed my own door softly and went 
 down-stairs. I was disappointed. I hoped 
 Miss Fielding was not in a bad humor, though 
 that seemed impossible. When Leah came 
 up with the tray and gave me a "good morn- 
 ing," I said: 
 
 "Leah, I wish you'd ask Miss Fielding if 
 Nokomis can't come up into my room this 
 morning, will you?" 
 
 She hesitated just long enough for me to 
 notice that she was troubled; then she put 
 down the tray, saying: 
 
 "Nokomis is a queer old dog, Mr. Castle, 
 and I don't know that she'll come." 
 
 "Why, she was here all day yesterday and 
 we had a beautiful time together!" 
 
 "I know." Leah turned to leave. "I'll 
 speak about it, of course, but well, these 
 dogs have all sorts of fancies, and you can't 
 always depend upon them. They will and 
 they won't." She did not look at me as she 
 answered, and went out immediately. 
 
 I felt that I had somehow blundered into 
 an indiscretion, though what it was I couldn't 
 58 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 possibly see. It made me exceedingly un- 
 comfortable, for I would have done anything 
 rather than take advantage of the kindness 
 and hospitality with which I had been 
 treated. I remembered that I had not yet 
 heard the dogs barking; that might possibly 
 mean something, but it gave me no clue. I 
 had to give it up and try to make amends as 
 well as I might. 
 
 A little later I heard Miss Fielding's door 
 slam, and her footsteps running down the 
 stairs. That she had not come in to see me, 
 even if for only a few words, did not decrease 
 my annoyance. Shortly after came a chorus 
 of barks, but I fancied that they were not of 
 the same mood that I had noted before ; there 
 seemed to be something antagonistic in their 
 protesting notes, as if some stranger had 
 perhaps passed the house. I had got the 
 idea that Midmeadows was a lonely place, 
 though I had not yet seen the outside of the 
 building, and no doubt the collies were dis- 
 trustful of visitors. I waited expectantly to 
 hear Miss Fielding call them, one by one, as 
 59 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 she had before; but, if she did so, I missed 
 it. 
 
 For half an hour or more there was a 
 steady pounding down-stairs, and, when Leah 
 came for my tray, I heard some one whis- 
 tling, the least bit out of tune. Leah was si- 
 lent and reserved. She asked how I had 
 slept, and if I were better, and there the con- 
 versation ended. 
 
 Finally, at about eleven o'clock, Miss 
 Fielding came in. I looked up eagerly. 
 
 She wore a stiffly laundered shirt-waist, 
 noticeably stained and soiled, though it had 
 evidently been put on clean that morning. 
 She wore no stock, and the neck was turned 
 away in a V, carelessly, showing a little gold 
 chain with a sapphire pendant, and the 
 sleeves were rolled up above her dimpled el- 
 bows. She had a heavy walking-skirt and 
 heavy mannish shoes whose soles projected 
 a full half-inch beyond the uppers. Her hair, 
 which, before, I had always seen exquisitely 
 coiled high on her head, was done in a full 
 pompadour, though now it fell in flat folds 
 60 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 over her forehead and wisped out in the back 
 of her neck. 
 
 She came up to my bedside and smiled 
 frankly at me. I got a pronounced odor of 
 Santal. 
 
 "Well, how are you to-day!" she said 
 jovially. "Do you feel better?" 
 
 I said that I did, noticing that she wore 
 three rings on her left hand. It was good 
 to see her so full of life and energy. 
 
 "You certainly were a sight when you were 
 brought in, ' ' she went on ; "I was frightened 
 to death. I never saw any one unconscious 
 before, and I thought you were dead, for sure. 
 Isn't it lucky the doctor was here? I'm 
 awfully sorry your auto was smashed up so, 
 for I'd like to try it myself. I've been want- 
 ing one. Yours is a foreign make, isn't it? 
 I've been looking it over. It's a water-cooled 
 engine, I see. But I want a six-cylinder. 
 I'm going to see if Uncle Jerdon and I can't 
 patch it up so that it'll go." 
 
 "Fancy a girl's caring about machinery!" 
 I said, smiling at her enthusiasm. "You're 
 61 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 the last person in the world I'd ever think 
 would have any interest in it." 
 
 "Why!" she said, sitting on the edge of 
 the bed, and, turning down her sleeves, 
 covered her round, strong arms. 
 
 "I thought that you were more of the artis- 
 tic temperament." 
 
 "Oh, I like to use my hands," she said. 
 She held one out, its fingers stiffly opened, 
 then clenched her fist firmly. "They're 
 stronger than they look. Try it ! " 
 
 She took my hand in hers and gave me a 
 grip as strong as any ordinary man's. 
 
 "That comes from your violin practice, I 
 suppose," I remarked. 
 
 Her eyes were on mine, and I saw that the 
 pupils were dilated, and the irises so dark 
 as almost to appear hlack. She did not an- 
 swer me for a moment, and then simply 
 nodded vaguely and changed the subject. 
 
 "I've taken the clock apart more than once. 
 
 The dining-room one, I mean. When the 
 
 hands point to eight, it strikes four and it's 
 
 half-past two, really. I have to tell time by 
 
 62 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 an algebraic formula. I'm going to dissect 
 it again and see if I can't get it right." She 
 laughed merrily, swinging her foot back and 
 forth. 
 
 At that moment the collies began to bark 
 again. She sprang up impatiently, and went 
 to the window. 
 
 "Darn those dogs!" she complained, 
 "don't they make a horrid racket, though ! I 
 can't keep them quiet." Then she raised the 
 sash abruptly, leaned out and cried, "Hush 
 up, there!" 
 
 Their answer was a chorus of indignation. 
 She let down the window with a clatter, and 
 walked to the mirror to rearrange her hair, 
 using silver pins that shone conspicuously in 
 her dark locks. Her skirt had sagged away 
 from her belt, at the back, from the violence 
 of her work, no doubt, and she reached to fix 
 it, turning to smile at me coquettishly after 
 she did so. 
 
 "Do you like my hair done high or low?" 
 she asked. 
 
 "I like it best the way I first saw it, that 
 63 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 night," I said. "It was done in a fillet, or a 
 bandeau, wasn't it?" 
 
 "Why, no! It was pompadonred, wasn't 
 it? Oh, yes perhaps it was I forget but 
 it's so fine that I can't do anything with it." 
 
 Except for these little lapses of abstraction 
 when she stared so puzzlingly at me, she was 
 in high spirits. Her presence filled the room 
 with electricity; she surcharged its atmos- 
 phere. She seemed more virile than ever, 
 more full of life, so full that it actually 
 seemed to splash over in all sorts of energetic 
 gestures of her head and hands. As she 
 stood, now, in the center of the room, she 
 made a quick dash at a fly that drifted past, 
 caught it in her hand, smiled at her dexterity, 
 and tossed it aside. She made passes and 
 rapid motions with her arms, as if she were 
 swinging a tennis racket, and tapped her toes 
 and heels in a little clog-dance as she walked. 
 I saw that she was getting bored. 
 
 "Well," she said at last, "I must go to 
 work. If there's anything you want Leah 
 will do it for you. You can call her. There's 
 64 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 the bell. Don't hesitate to ring it. I'll be 
 so glad when yon can come down-stairs and 
 see the place. It's a jolly old shack you'll 
 like it!" 
 
 She waved her hand jauntily and swung 
 out of the room. I heard her run down- 
 stairs, and a little later the pounding and 
 the whistling recommenced. 
 
 She semed different to-day, but I imagined 
 that perhaps it was only that she was feeling 
 better in health and mind, though she had not 
 appeared really ill before. She seemed 
 younger than ever, too, the little lines in her 
 face seemed to be mostly ironed out. No 
 doubt it was, as women say, t ' her day. ' ' Her 
 beauty was more obvious ; it was undeniable. 
 
 Yet something about her manner troubled 
 me. I was distinctly disappointed; she 
 seemed less subtle, less imaginative. She 
 was no longer the princess of my fairy tale ; 
 the spell had waned. But if her familiarity 
 and naturalness upon further acquaintance 
 were less romantic, they were more real, and 
 had some of the actuality of prose. We could 
 
 65 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 still be good friends, for I liked her im- 
 mensely. Perhaps she had thought we had 
 gone too far sentimentally, and was trying to 
 put our relations upon a firmer and more 
 matter-of-fact basis. Perhaps, even, Doctor 
 Copin's visit had, in some way, affected her, 
 and she had considered that her entente with 
 me was becoming dangerous. Well, it was 
 certainly my place, as a stranger thrust upon 
 her hospitality, to take whatever cue she gave 
 me, disappointing as that line of conduct 
 should prove. For I had been stirred and 
 awakened by her. I could not deny that to 
 myself. And no doubt I had taken her al- 
 together too seriously. 
 
 I saw no more of her till late in the after- 
 noon, but, meanwhile, Leah made me a wel- 
 come visit. After luncheon she asked me, 
 quite modestly, if I would like her to read to 
 me or would rather play chess. I chose the 
 reading, wanting very much the opportunity 
 of studying her. Her attention seemed, how- 
 ever, to be distracted ; I was sure of it when, 
 a little later, she excused herself to go down- 
 66 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 stairs. Then I noticed the barking of the 
 dogs, high-pitched and excited. 
 
 She came back soon to finish her reading, 
 and, that done, we fell to talking. As she 
 sat, her dark face was outlined against the 
 white woodwork of the alcove like a silhou- 
 ette. Her white teeth shone. 
 
 I asked her about her education. 
 
 "I went to a school for colored women," 
 she said, "fitting myself to be a teacher. But 
 of course it's hard for a colored girl to get a 
 chance, except with her own race, and I didn't 
 want to go South. Then I got this place 
 with Miss Fielding." 
 
 "I can't imagine any situation more de- 
 lightful," I said, watching her. 
 
 Her eyes burned, smothered in quickening 
 tears, but her voice was calm enough. "It's 
 lovely here. I don't mind the loneliness a bit. 
 It's nothing to what I have endured in big 
 cities." 
 
 She gave it to me simply, with no apparent 
 bid for sympathy, but I knew enough of the 
 pathetic isolation of the educated negro, cut 
 67, 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 off from any real mental communion with the 
 blacks as well as with the whites, to interpret 
 the repression of her manner. There was 
 a tragedy in her words. 
 
 "Well," I said, "it strikes me that you're 
 in luck to be here with such a companion as 
 Miss Fielding. And she's as fortunate, too. 
 I'm sure you get on beautifully. Still, how 
 she can stand it, away off from every one, I 
 don't see quite so well." 
 
 "Do you think she's unhappy?" Leah 
 asked after a pause. 
 
 "Certainly not to-day, at least. Yester- 
 day I shouldn't have been quite so sure that 
 she wasn't." 
 
 "Oh, she has her moods," Leah admitted. 
 " I do my best to indulge them. ' ' She looked 
 up at me. "So must you, too, Mr. Castle!" 
 She held my eyes deliberately, as if expect- 
 ing my promise. 
 
 "How could I be so ungrateful as not to, 
 in the circumstances?" 
 
 "I mean you see, she doesn't like to be 
 questioned. I have to be very careful. She 
 68 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 has her fancies, and often seems inconsistent, 
 even a bit eccentric. It may be her life here 
 alone. You know she sees so few people. 
 You won't notice it!" Still her eyes ap- 
 pealed to me. 
 
 "I shan't at least show that I do." 
 
 She seemed dissatisfied. 
 
 "Except, perhaps, to you," I added, try- 
 ing, as I had tried with Miss Fielding, to get 
 to the bottom of her dread. 
 
 "Oh, not to me," she begged. "She's too 
 fine for us to be discussing. I've said too 
 much already, I'm afraid. I don't know why 
 I did. Only " 
 
 I said it for her. "Only, I am quartered 
 on you, here, and you can't get rid of me. 
 You have, in a way, a spy in camp. By an 
 accident, I'm here, and you're at my mercy. 
 Isn't that it? You don't, I mean, quite know 
 what I am, and you'd like to be able to trust 
 me, whatever happens." It was a jump in 
 the dark for me. 
 
 I could see her fingers working; she had 
 clasped her hands. 
 
 69 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Oh, I hope I haven't given you the idea 
 that anything is likely to happen," she said 
 anxiously. "If I have, I'm quite sorry I 
 spoke. If you'll only take everything quite 
 as a matter of course that's all I mean 
 her moods, you know, and not think things 
 She ended without attempting to be more 
 lucid, for there was a sound of some one com- 
 ing up-stairs. 
 
 Miss Fielding came into the room, and her 
 delicate right eyebrow rose at seeing Leah 
 sitting there, doing nothing. 
 
 "Leah, go down and tie up the dogs; 
 they're chasing all over the place!" Her 
 voice was crisp and peremptory. 
 
 Leah went away quietly; I got a swift 
 glance of mute appeal at me as she left. Miss 
 Fielding came to my side and looked down at 
 me quizzically, her thumbs in her belt. 
 
 "Do you mind telling me your name?" she 
 said. "It's rather awkward not to know, 
 you know." 
 
 "Oh, Castle's my real name, right 
 enough," I answered. 
 70 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Castle?" she repeated, and then, as if 
 recollecting: "Of course, but I meant your 
 first name." Her face cleared. 
 
 ''Chester Castle," I enlarged. "A good 
 name for an architect, isn't it?" 
 
 "An architect, really? Then I'll have to 
 get you to help me on my little house. But 
 you're too good-looking for an architect," 
 she laughed. "I thought they always wore 
 pointed beards, like doctors." 
 
 "Oh, I'm not a Beaux- Arts man," I said, 
 keeping up with her mood. 
 
 "Are you married?" 
 
 "No, I'm happy to say I'm not." 
 
 " So am I ! " she laughed. ' < That is to say, 
 I'm glad I'm not, and I'm glad you're not. 
 My name is Joy. Isn't it silly? It doesn't 
 fit me at all. I ought to have been called 
 Edna." 
 
 "Very well, then, you shall be!" I volun- 
 teered. 
 
 She took it without surprise or annoyance. 
 "Oh, I don't stand on ceremony. That's 
 silly. If you're going to stay here for a week 
 71 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I shall have to call you Chester. Do you 
 mind? It's an awful bore to have to say 
 ' Mr. Castle' all the time." 
 
 "By all means. My mother and my 
 friends call me 'Chef " 
 
 "That's better still. Chet." She tried it 
 audibly. ' < I rather like that. ' ' 
 
 "You're welcome to it." I laughed at her 
 directness. 
 
 "But you haven't asked me any questions ! 
 I should think you'd be curious. Keally, it 
 isn't at all complimentary to have you so in- 
 different." 
 
 "Oh, I'm only keeping 'on the island'," I 
 returned. 
 
 "Keeping what?" 
 
 * 'Don't you remember about staying 'on 
 the island'? You know you asked me your- 
 self to." 
 
 "Oh, yes did I? I forget." The puz- 
 zled look on her face had appeared again, 
 but was driven away. "Well, there really 
 isn't much to know about me. It's stupid 
 enough here at Midmeadows. It's iny own 
 72 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 place, you know. It used to belong to my 
 grandfather. I've had it ever since he died. 
 I suppose it's good for me here, for I'm ill 
 a good part of the time. I'm up and I'm 
 down. But when I'm up, I'm up pretty high, 
 and when I'm down, I'm 'way down in the 
 depths." 
 
 She had sat down in a chair and had 
 crossed her legs, one over the other, wagging 
 one foot and clasping her hands across her 
 knees so tightly that the blood was driven 
 from her white knuckles to the ends of her 
 purple fingers. It is always an awkward 
 pose; I have often wondered how a pretty 
 girl could ever take it. Now she drew her 
 chair closer to the bedside and took my hand. 
 
 "Let me see your hand," she said sudden- 
 ly. "I'll read your palm, if you like." 
 
 She bent over it, drawing so near that her 
 head was quite close to mine, so close that, 
 had it not been for the perfume she used, I 
 should have got the odor of her hair. When 
 she turned to me, smiling, she seemed very 
 near indeed, though none too near me. She 
 73 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 began her reading of the lines, holding my 
 hand in both hers, pointing to the signs with 
 one finger, trying the resistance of my thumb, 
 squeezing the flesh to determine its firmness, 
 kneading it and handling it in quite the pro- 
 fessional manner. It took her some time. 
 The opinions she gave me were not particu- 
 larly affording, but they were rather cleverly 
 put. She made a good deal of my "magnet- 
 ism," saying that she could actually feel it. 
 I was properly flattered. I could feel hers, 
 easily enough. 
 
 Then she dropped my hand, rose and 
 yawned as freely as had Nokomis herself. 
 
 "I'm starving!" she exclaimed. "I must 
 see what's the matter with dinner. I'm sor- 
 ry you can't come down, Chet. I hate to eat 
 all alone." 
 
 "Why, doesn't Leah eat with you?" I 
 asked, surprised. 
 
 "No, I can't quite go that!" she said em- 
 phatically, as she made an irrelevant athletic 
 gesture. "I have to draw the line some- 
 where, you know. I have Uncle Jerdon 
 74 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 sometimes, though, just for the fun of seeing 
 him eat. He's perfectly lovely! He holds 
 his fork in the Kansas City style, this way " 
 She illustrated a familiar restaurant atti- 
 tude, with the thumb and little finger of her 
 left hand braced under a paper-knife, the 
 three middle fingers curled atop. "Then he 
 always loads up his fork with his knife, a 
 little piece of meat, and a, little piece of po- 
 tato, and a little dab of butter and a little 
 swish of gravy and then She showed me 
 how, pretending to toss it into her mouth, 
 and wiped her lips with the back of her hand, 
 in a way that made me laugh aloud. "You 
 could hear him eat, 'way up here ! Golly ! 
 it makes me hungry to talk about it!" she 
 added. "I'll see you later, Chet. Oh I'll 
 send you up some current jelly. I made 
 it myself; sure cure for the measles! Ee- 
 member, you have to like it ! " And she was 
 off in a two-step. 
 
 I smiled to myself at her pantomime, after 
 she was gone. How I had misjudged her at 
 first ! She seemed commoner, but our f riencU 
 75 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ship was, perhaps, more natural. She was 
 no 'longer the wonderful, exotic, medieval 
 princess in the tower, but she was a frank, 
 wholesome creature, full of human charms 
 and faults. I decided, by reason of that sane 
 analysis, that I was improving in health. 
 My bang on the head, no doubt, had made me 
 unduly impressionable. 
 
 She did not keep her word in regard to 
 coming in after dinner. Leah brought up my 
 tray, as usual, and took it away, saying that 
 she was unable to stay with me. She seemed 
 abstracted and nervous, and I forbore to 
 question her. I spent a dreary evening alone. 
 
 The pounding went on for two hours or 
 more after dinner, and then Miss Fielding 
 came up-stairs to her room. She contented 
 herself with putting her head through the 
 doorway and calling out "Good night, Chet!" 
 and then I heard her door slam. There was 
 no talk between the, two women that I could 
 hear. 
 
 76 
 
"Sliced kisses, fried in tears," were the 
 words I heard Miss Fielding reply to Leah's 
 morning call, early the next day. I had 
 waited long, for the day was bright and I 
 wakened at sunrise. Her fanciful order put 
 tme immediately into a good humor, and I 
 was intensely curious to see what the day 
 would bring forth. 
 
 The collies were barking vociferously, joy- 
 ously. Suddenly they stopped, and then, one 
 by one, I heard them greet their mistress. It 
 was very prettily done. Leah, coming in, 
 found me smiling, and smiled back at me. 
 Seeing me so much better, she offered timidly 
 to help dress me, and I welcomed her pro- 
 posal to bring me hot water and what was 
 necessary for shaving. My own clothes had 
 been sent down, so I prepared myself for 
 my chatelaine's visit. 
 77 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Joy came into my room with a sweet, low, 
 "Good morning, Mr. Castle!" which threw 
 me back not a little, after what had taken 
 place on the yesterday. I was about to haz- 
 ard some good-natured sarcasm, but the sight 
 of her face inhibited it, and something of 
 what Leah had said came back to me. I 
 answered the greeting without comment, 
 therefore, and waited for her to set the pace. 
 
 She was in an exquisitely fresh, simple or- 
 gandy frock, and had on a garden hat and 
 gauntleted garden gloves; her arms were 
 filled with roses. Her brow wrinkled slightly 
 as she noticed the fading blossoms which had 
 been left in the vases. 
 
 "I'm afraid I neglected you yesterday, " 
 she said, as she set about removing the 
 dejected roses and putting fresh ones in their 
 places. As she came near me, I noticed little 
 dewy drops on her neatly coiled hair, where 
 she had dashed it with violet water. There 
 was no trace of any other scent, save that of 
 the roses. She drew off her gloves and I saw 
 that she wore no rings. 
 78 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 She sat down for a moment. I had ob- 
 served before that not only could Miss Field- 
 ing be remarkably graceful in pose and in 
 action, but that she could be as astonishingly 
 gauche as well. Astonishingly, that is, for 
 her for one who could be so graceful. This, 
 however, was decidedly one of her graceful 
 days, or rather, perhaps, as Leah had said, 
 moods. Her lines melted and composed. 
 There was positive elegance in the way she 
 used her hands, gesticulating freely. It en- 
 hanced the charm of her voice, so limpid and 
 full of feeling. 
 
 " Isn't it a beautiful morning! What a 
 shame it is that you can't get up. You must 
 hurry and convalesce just enough to be able 
 to see the place, and not so much as to have 
 to go away. Perhaps you can get into a 
 chair by to-morrow. Did you hear my dog- 
 gies? I can recognize each of them by the 
 voice, and you will be able to, too, if you only 
 stay here long enough. Nokomis is the 
 deepest-toned one. She's the oldest, you 
 know, and the most dignified. Hiawatha is 
 79 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 the little yappy one. He's a very silly little 
 pup ! ' ' 
 
 "I'm sorry Nokomis didn't want to come 
 up to see me, yesterday," I said. "But I 
 hope you'll pardon my taking the liberty of 
 asking for her. I know you probably don't 
 often allow them in the house." 
 
 "Why, of course Nokomis can come up; 
 the idea ! She 'd love it. Would you like to 
 see her now?" Then, with her eyes on mine, 
 and noticing my bewildered look, no doubt, 
 she added, with a queer expression, "Noko- 
 mis wasn't quite well yesterday. She is get- 
 ting old, you know." She rose restlessly. 
 "Will you wait a moment, please! I want 
 to speak to Leah," and she went out. 
 
 Something had passed over her spirits, I 
 couldn't tell what. It was like the shadow of 
 a cloud sweeping rapidly across a sunny 
 hillside. Whatever it was, it was gone when 
 she returned. 
 
 She went directly to the window, threw up 
 the sash, and called down, "Nokomis! Hi, 
 Nokomis!" A bark responded. 
 80 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 " Come up here, old lady ! Yes, come right 
 up. Wipe your feet, please. Wipe your 
 feet, Nokomis ! ' ' 
 
 The next thing there was a pattering of feet 
 upon the stairs, and the bitch bounded into 
 the room, her tail wagging. She ran up to 
 Miss Fielding immediately for orders. 
 
 "Go and say 'How d'you dof to Mr. Cas- 
 tle, Nokomis," said Miss Fielding, pointing 
 at me. 
 
 Nokomis dropped to the floor again, and 
 with the dignity of a duchess walked over to 
 where I lay, raised her beautiful eyes to mine, 
 lifted a forepaw and laid it on the bed. I 
 shook it and felt for the dog's neck. 
 
 "Now, Nokomis " Miss Fielding began. 
 
 She was down on the instant, went to her 
 mistress and stood waiting, her head on one 
 side, her ears half erect, her tail low. 
 
 "Go and bring up Chevalier, please," was 
 the command. Nokomis was off like an ar- 
 row, and presently there was a to-do in the 
 yard. By this time I could recognize Noko- 
 mis' heavy note among the others. Then 
 81 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 she and a tan-and-black collie came rollicking 
 into the room. Both came immediately up 
 to their mistress. 
 
 "Here's Chevalier, Mr. Castle. He's a 
 pretty good show dog, isn't he? He hasn't 
 got a fancy livery, but he's all right, except 
 his tail's set on a bit too high, and there's a 
 little feather to his hind legs below the hock. ' ' 
 
 Chevalier whined, and looked up at Miss 
 Fielding. I was quite ready to believe the 
 dog understood what she said. 
 
 "Oh, that's all right, Chev, you's a booful, 
 good doggie, and I love you! Chevalier's 
 strain harks back to the original Scott he 's 
 quite a swell, in his way, and has got blue 
 ribbons. But they all want tri-colored calico 
 dogs, now. Go over and pay your respects, 
 Chevalier, please!" 
 
 The dog came up to me, was patted, and 
 left with Nokomis, who was next instructed 
 to return with John 'Groat, a big dog, al- 
 most wholly black, with a rather blunter muz- 
 zle than the others. 
 
 "John's got pretty good blood, too, and his 
 82 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 mother was from the Lothian Hills, like Nor- 
 val no, that was the Grampians. A little 
 hollow-backed, and his forelegs aren't quite 
 straight, but Jack's a good dog, aren't you, 
 Jack? A fine worker, too." 
 
 Jack was certainly listening to every word 
 attentively, whether he understood or not. 
 After he had gone, Nokomis brought up Min- 
 nehaha, one of her own youngsters, pure 
 white. 
 
 ' 1 Poor little Minnie," said Miss Fielding, 
 "she's got yellow eyes and a thin coat, but 
 I love her just as much!" Taking the fore- 
 paws she held her own face tantalizingly near 
 the dog's tongue. "Just as much, I do. Now 
 go over to Mr. Castle, Miss!" 
 
 Last of all came Hiawatha, a frenzied, 
 wriggling, capering puppy, sable-and-white 
 like his mother, yelping, crouching, bounding, 
 hysterical with joy. Miss Fielding and I fell 
 to laughing at his antics, but Hiawatha was 
 too young to care. He was up on top of my 
 bed in half a minute, and stifling me with his 
 eagerness, lapping my face and hands, growl- 
 83 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ing, snarling, biting, scratching all at once. 
 When this frisky, capering bunch of enthu- 
 siasm had departed, quite out of his head 
 with the excitement of the visit, Miss Field- 
 ing talked dog for ten minutes. She had not 
 forgotten, however, to compliment her pets 
 with a lump of sugar apiece, filched from my 
 tray and dropped from the window with strict 
 precedence. 
 
 "Oh," I said, looking at her with admi- 
 ration, "I do think your own name is the 
 best! It's so like you." 
 
 "What d'you mean?" she asked, coming 
 up to me. 
 
 "Why Joy," I replied. 
 
 "Of course it is! Isn't it fun to have a 
 name like that? One has quite to live up to 
 it, though. It inspires me, sometimes, when 
 I'm blue." 
 
 "Yes; it has distinction. I don't see why 
 you ever should prefer Edna." 
 
 "Oh, Edna " she said seriously. She 
 waited a moment, to shake from her skirt the 
 sand the dogs' paws had left. "Well, I do 
 84 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 like Edna, sometimes. It depends upon my 
 mood, I suppose. You know I told you I had 
 moods. Don't try to reconcile me, I know 
 I'm inconsistent. But I'm a woman," she 
 added, looking up more brightly, l ' and I sup- 
 pose I have that right." 
 
 "I haven't decided whether you're a 
 woman or not," I returned. "Sometimes I 
 have thought you were a princess in dis- 
 guise. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Oh, that 's nice of you ! But why f ' ' 
 
 "You're so mysterious, so whimsical, so 
 detached, so romantic." 
 
 "Take care!" she warned severely. 
 "You aren't trying to swim off the island, 
 are you?" 
 
 I opened my eyes at this. 
 
 "You still hold me to my promise after 
 yesterday?" 
 
 "Why not?" she said, a little blankly. 
 
 "Why, I thought we were well off the 
 island at least you were. I thought that 
 you had given up the game." 
 
 "Why?" she asked, looking at me directly, 
 85 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 in seeming surprise. ' * I think you must have 
 mistaken my meaning. " 
 
 I couldn't quite get it. "You asked me all 
 sorts of questions, anyway, you know," I 
 ventured. 
 
 Her eyes begged for mercy. "I'm sorry 
 if I was impertinent " 
 
 "Oh, I don't mean that, of course. You 
 couldn't be. You had a perfect right to ask, 
 of course." 
 
 "Can't I row back in a boat, please?" she 
 pouted whimsically. "Don't give it up yet. 
 Not till I give you specific leave of absence. 
 I suppose I'm spoiled. I want my cake to 
 keep and eat, too." 
 
 I was a little relieved at her recognition 
 of her own inconsistency, though I felt a 
 queer hiatus somewhere. It was as if, men- 
 tally, I had tried to go up a step where there 
 was none. But I let the subject drop. She 
 took up the books on the stand and began to 
 look them over. 
 
 "Don't you think Leah reads beautifully?" 
 she asked. 
 
 86 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 1 1 It's charming to hear her, but/ if you 
 don't mind, I prefer to hear you. 9 ' 
 
 She took all my compliments so graciously, 
 without either embarrassed denial or vanity, 
 that I loved to watch her when I tried a gal- 
 lantry. Now she only nodded to me, sweep- 
 ingly, with mock deference, and went on: 
 
 "Leah and I disagree somewhat. I have 
 more manner, perhaps, and less rhythm. 
 We read a good deal together. I think she 
 sees Browning much more clearly than I. 
 Perhaps I feel him more keenly. ' ' 
 
 "She's a remarkable girl I was going to 
 add ' for a negress,' but I needn't qualify it." 
 
 "Oh, no! You don't know how fine she 
 is." Seating herself she added, as if to her- 
 self, in a sort of sigh: "What that girl has 
 done for me!" 
 
 "I am sure that she would say just that of 
 you," I remarked. 
 
 "Oh, I try her a good deal, sometimes. 
 
 Her mother was my nurse. When I sent for 
 
 Leah, I didn't expect to get anything more 
 
 than, perhaps, some of the hereditary de- 
 
 87 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 votion darkies have, even if I got that. But 
 I got a friend. You can't trust her too far, 
 Mr. Castle, believe me! She's pure gold." 
 
 It happened that, as she spoke, Leah her- 
 self came into the room with letters for me. 
 Miss Fielding took the girl's hand and 
 pressed it against her own cheek affection- 
 ately. As she did so, I noticed a peculiar 
 scar a livid U-shaped mark on Leah's wrist. 
 It was the sort of scar that might be left 
 from the wound of a carving-tool one of 
 the narrower gouges. 
 
 "Was I very horrid yesterday, Leah?" 
 Miss Fielding asked, looking up into the fine 
 brown face. 
 
 ' * Oh, please, Miss Joy ! ' ' Leah begged un- 
 easily. 
 
 "Of course you understand, Leah; I only 
 want Mr. Castle to know I'm sorry," Miss 
 Fielding insisted. 
 
 "I need only to look at you to be sure 
 
 you're sorry, and to look at Leah to be sure 
 
 that there's no need of it," I declared. "At 
 
 any rate, there's no need of my understand- 
 
 88 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ing. In fact that's just what I thought you 
 didn't want me to do. Isn't it?" 
 
 Leah looked quickly from me to Miss Field- 
 ing, and back again. 
 
 "Yes, I suppose it is," Miss Fielding said 
 slowly, thoughtfully. ' * Let 's get back on the 
 island again. I'm sure it's big enough for 
 us." 
 
 We stayed, therefore, "on the island" all 
 that afternoon, touching, that is, but lightly 
 on personal topics. But though we did not 
 go wide, we went deep enough to make the 
 talk hold us absorbed for an hour or more. 
 In quite another way, I think, we went far, 
 as well. Miss Fielding was a stimulating 
 conversationalist. She made me feel at my 
 best. She had that happy way of meeting 
 me on my ground every little while, then go- 
 ing on, and giving me a hand up to hers, and 
 so, by a series of alternate agreements and 
 divergencies, keeping the discussion both 
 sympathetic and various. In most of this 
 quick give-and-take Leah was a passive 
 listener unless specially appealed to, at which 
 89 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 times she often expressed herself so suc- 
 cinctly and sapiently that Miss Fielding and 
 I looked at her, and then at one another with 
 a comic expression of admiration and de- 
 preciation of our own powers. 
 
 With such conversation the day went fast. 
 In the afternoon Miss Fielding read to me, 
 and in the evening I spent two or three hours 
 in passive delight listening to her violin. 
 
 My pain had almost subsided, now, and I 
 looked forward with something more poig- 
 nant than regret at being able to be up and 
 about, knowing that would mean the begin' 
 ning of the end of our companionship. 
 
 90 
 
VI 
 
 The next morning Miss Fielding slept late, 
 and her breakfast order was, as it had been 
 two days before, prosaic. Then, also, she had 
 slept late. This coincidence struck me and 
 gave me a presentiment. I looked curiously 
 for the first sight of her to confirm or de- 
 stroy a theory that I had been incubating dur- 
 ing my long night hours alone. The fact 
 that, as I ate my breakfast, I could hear her 
 whistling in her room helped along my hy- 
 pothesis. So did Leah's apparent mental 
 detachment. 
 
 Miss Fielding romped into my room at 
 about half -past nine, and with a laugh and a 
 "Good morning, Chet!" pirouetted up to my 
 bed. My theory instantly gained plausibil- 
 ity. Her manner was what I had antici- 
 pated. Her dress, also, was significant. 
 
 She had on a fussy sort of silk waist, in- 
 91 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 appropriate, I thought, with her cloth walk- 
 ing-skirt. Her hair was elaborately "mar- 
 celled, ' ' and she wore bangles that clinked on 
 her wrists ; there was the same odor of Santal 
 that I had previously noticed. What war, 
 most suggestive was that this get-up was ap- 
 parently meant to impress me. At least, that 
 was how I interpreted her coquettish smile. 
 I shouldn't care to say that she showed ac- 
 tual poor taste it was only, I thought, poor 
 taste for her. She needed such adjuncts of 
 fashion so little ! 
 
 "See here," she said, tossing her head and 
 pointing at me dramatically, "you're getting 
 altogether too lazy ! I think that you 've been 
 in bed long enough. I'm going to get you 
 down-stairs to-day. The doctor said three or 
 four days in bed would do, and now it's five. 
 How do you feel?" She shook the post of 
 my bed with mock ferocity, as if to expend 
 some surplus energy. There seemed to be 
 an extra ounce of blood in her this morning. 
 
 "Oh, I'm game!" I replied. "Nothing 
 would suit me better." 
 92 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I'll get the library ready, then; Leah and 
 Uncle Jerdon will help you down. Then you 
 can watch me work, if you don't mind. I'm 
 trying to finish my coffret." She felt 
 thoughtfully of her biceps. "I'll get quite a 
 muscle before I'm through. I shall have 
 driven about twelve hundred nails by the time 
 it's done." 
 
 She walked to the door, swinging her arms, 
 and called, "Leah! Come up here! 
 Quick!" 
 
 Leah appeared, out of breath, as if, for the 
 moment, she had expected that an accident 
 had happened. She gave a quick apprehen- 
 sive look about. 
 
 "Leah, we're going to get Mr. Castle down- 
 stairs to-day. Is Uncle Jerdon about?" 
 
 "Do you think Mr. Castle is well enough 
 to be moved, yet?" Leah ventured. 
 
 "Didn't I say he was going down-stairs?" 
 Miss Fielding repeated impatiently. "I 
 think we can decide that question. You do as 
 I say. Go and get Uncle Jerdon, and be 
 quick about it, too!" 
 
 93 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "She's spoiled. She thinks she runs this 
 house/' Miss Fielding complained to me, 
 when Leah had left. 
 
 I said nothing, watching her closely. My 
 theory was now pretty well substantiated. I 
 could not pass this scene off as merely one of 
 the "moods" that she and Leah had both 
 mentioned. There was something definitely 
 wrong with Miss Fielding to-day something 
 more than a mere whim of temper. There 
 had been something wrong two days before, 
 when she had acted similarly. She was dis- 
 tinctly not herself, if her normal self was the 
 graceful, delicate, tactful creature who had 
 first charmed me. 
 
 It was not only her mood or her taste in 
 costume that seemed different. It was some- 
 thing not quite describable which seemed to 
 permeate her whole personality. She had 
 taken a chair and sat with her right arm cast 
 up over the back. The angle of her raised 
 elbow threw her into a distinctly awkward 
 position. Her gestures, too, were character- 
 istic of this mysterious difference. When 
 94 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 they were not distinctly imitative, as in mim- 
 icking Uncle Jerdon's table-manners, they 
 were irrelevant, mere spasmodic exhibitions 
 of activity as when she caught the fly, or 
 swung her arms with active tennis-like ges- 
 tures. This spontaneous irrelevancy she 
 showed now in the way she doubled her fists 
 and brought them athletically to her shoul- 
 ders, as she talked, or, raising her foot a lit- 
 tle, made circles with her toe, showing the 
 slenderness and suppleness of her ankle. I 
 don't say that all this ebullition of high 
 spirits wasn't, in its way, charming. It was. 
 But it was different from the way she had 
 acted yesterday. Perhaps I can best de- 
 scribe it by saying that she seemed quite ten 
 years younger. 
 
 She sprang up and, apropos of nothing at 
 all, proceeded to dance or hop sidewise across 
 the room and back hilariously, in sheer ex- 
 cess of vigor. It was what she called "gal- 
 umphing, ' ' and, from time to time, during the 
 day, usually at the end of some little over- 
 serious conversation, she repeated the per- 
 95 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 formance, to my great amusement and de- 
 light. It was the absurdly meaningless gam- 
 boling of a kid, but it was so delicious in its 
 inconsequence that every time it provoked my 
 laughter. 
 
 While we were talking nonsense there, 
 Leah came up with Uncle Jerdon. Uncle 
 Jerdon was distinctly a New England type 
 the chin - bearded, straw - chewing farmer, 
 quaintly original, confident, droll. He was 
 well on in years, a dried-up, wrinkled, tooth- 
 less bachelor with sparse, straw-colored hair, 
 long in the neck, and twinkling blue eyes full 
 of good nature. He wore overalls and reeked 
 of the stable. 
 
 Miss Fielding introduced him, and I shook 
 his skinny hand. 
 
 "Wall," he drawled, "thinkin' abeout 
 movin', be ye? I guess Leah an' me '11 make 
 a pretty good elevator. I'll help ye get 
 dressed, fust-off, an' then we'll take ye up 
 tenderly, lift ye with care." 
 
 The two women left while I got my clothes 
 on. It felt good to leave the bed. 
 96 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "We been a-tinkerin' on that air machine 
 o' yourn, but it's a leetle bit too much for us, 
 I guess," Uncle Jerdon said. "You'll have 
 to send deown a man, I expect. I wouldn't 
 ride in one o' them pesky things for all the 
 gold of Ophir, no sirree, bob ! When I want 
 to go to ride I want to see the back of a good 
 hoss I know I'll get home by sun-deown." 
 
 He monologued away thus as he helped me 
 into my clothes, and, when I had finished, 
 called to Leah. 
 
 She came in, and I took an arm of each, 
 though I scarcely needed their help. We 
 descended a narrow, paneled stairway slowly 
 but safely, without causing me any pain, and 
 turned into a door on the left-hand side of 
 the lower hall. There I found a morris chair 
 ready for me, drawn up before a wide brick 
 fireplace where an oak log was burning. 
 Uncle Jerdon left me with a wink at seeing 
 Leah placing a foot-stool for me and draw- 
 ing up a taboret on which were cigars and 
 cigarettes. There ensconced, I looked about 
 with interest. 
 
 97 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 It was a large room, finished all in paneled 
 unvarnished redwood, most beautiful in 
 color a lighter red than mahogany, with 
 more softness and bloom. Two sides were 
 lined with book-cases, except for the chimney- 
 breast ; another was almost filled with a broad 
 bow-window of leaded glass with a deep seat 
 covered with corduroy cushions. There was 
 a narrow shelf supported by carved brackets 
 part way up, and a cornice above that. Be- 
 tween the adzed beams of the ceiling were 
 panels of old Spanish leather, lacquered and 
 stamped. The whole effect was a modified 
 French Renaissance worked out with many 
 charming originalities of detail. The pilas- 
 ters, and the elaborate mantel with its orna- 
 mented moldings and graceful consoles, 
 showed handicraft of an interesting sort. 
 They seemed to have been carved by some 
 artistic amateur, being boldly cut without the 
 machine-like regularity of the professional. 
 There was, besides the unusualness of the 
 wood, much to interest me as an architect. 
 
 The library was well filled without appear- 
 98 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ing crowded, and everything, furniture and 
 appointments, betokened, as had my cham- 
 ber, not only taste, but luxury. It was evi- 
 dent that Miss Fielding was very well off, 
 and knew how to use her money. It was as 
 evident that she had a strong personality, for 
 there were details that were unique. A large 
 prism of rock-crystal, for instance, carelessly 
 resting in the sunshine upon the dull brown 
 cushions of the window-seat, threw a pris- 
 matic spot of splendor upon the ceiling. It 
 was like a gorgeous butterfly pinned to the 
 leather. There was a silver cage of waltzing 
 Japanese mice upon the mantel, little gro- 
 tesque, pied creatures that spun wheels, 
 washed their necks with their paws and 
 nibbled at rice. The books, too, were ar- 
 ranged upon the shelves apparently not as re- 
 gards subjects, but rather on account of their 
 bindings, giving masses of color, green and 
 red and brown and black and white. 
 
 But it had all been indubitably so well lived 
 in, its properties all ministered so to one's 
 comfort, and the tones were all so restful and 
 99 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 admirably composed, that I could imagine no 
 more charming environment for a rainy day 
 with Miss Fielding. 
 
 A great library table stood in the center of 
 the apartment, one end of which was covered 
 with magazines everything from The Jour- 
 nal of Abnormal Psychology to the Pink 'Un. 
 Upon the other end, resting on a hide of 
 ooze leather, were scattered tools and ma- 
 terials, and the unfinished chest upon which 
 Miss Fielding had been working. This was 
 covered with young calfskin, the soft hair 
 still on, a pretty brindled tan and white, and 
 it was bound on the edges with brass strips. 
 These were fastened in place by close rows of 
 brass-headed nails, which accounted for the 
 pounding I had heard. I was admiring the 
 workmanlike way in which the chest was 
 made, when Miss Fielding came in. 
 
 "What d'you think of my 'bossy coffret'?" 
 she said. "Isn't it going to be a beauty! 
 My own invention. Don't steal the scheme, 
 and I'll show you how." 
 
 She stood up to the table, and, taking one 
 100 
 
THE WHITE GAT 
 
 of the brass strips, laid off the divisions and 
 punched holes for the nails, and then ham- 
 mered it on. She kept up, meanwhile, a run- 
 ning fire of persiflage. Occasionally she 
 would stop to toss her hammer into the air 
 and catch it nimhly by the handle as it fell. 
 
 "I thought you were going to call me 
 Edna," she said after a while, pausing with 
 some nails in her mouth to look over at me. 
 "Don't you like the name?" 
 
 "I thought you didn't like it," I said, my 
 eyes turning from her brisk, clever hands, to 
 her absorbed face. A wave passed over it as 
 I looked that baffled expression I had no- 
 ticed before. 
 
 * ' Did I say so V ' Her hammer was poised 
 in mid air. 
 
 "Why, didn't you?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, I suppose so. It doesn't mat- 
 ter. Nicknames seldom stick, anyway." 
 She placed a nail in the hole. 
 
 "Oh, I don't object to 'Chef at all." 
 
 " 'Chef goes, then." She drove in her 
 nail with a frown. 
 
 101 
 
THE 
 
 WHITE CAT 
 
 Before I had thought of my promise, I 
 said: "It's funny you don't remember it!" 
 
 Bang, bang-bang! Another nail went in, 
 driven viciously. 
 
 I fully expected that she would speak of 
 "the island" again, but she didn't. Instead, 
 she dropped her tools, and said : 
 
 "I'm building a house, too!" 
 
 "Where?" I asked. 
 
 She laughed and galumphed across the 
 room and back again without looking at me, 
 before she answered. Then she stopped at 
 the door and called up for Leah to bring 
 down her bunch of keys. When these had 
 come, she knelt in front of the window-seat 
 and unlocked a cupboard below it. From 
 this she brought out a little model house, 
 built of pasteboard, perfect in all its details. 
 
 It had windows of mica, behind which were 
 white sashes and lace-paper curtains. The 
 house, an old-fashioned New England home- 
 stead, was placed in a little yard of green 
 velvet divided by paths of sandpaper, and set 
 out with toy trees. A child would have loved 
 102 
 
THE WHITE GAT 
 
 it. A fairy would have appropriated it at 
 first sight. As an architect, the model made 
 a great appeal to me. It had charm and 
 atmosphere, good massing, good proportions, 
 detail and color. I complimented her en- 
 thusiastically. 
 
 She was poking about the little front porch 
 and the platform in the rear, where a minia- 
 ture ash-barrel stood, adjusting the doors 
 and blinds with her slender forefinger, when 
 she frowned and said : 
 
 "Why, some one's broken that tree in 
 front! Leah, have you been touching this 
 house? There's a blind gone, too!" 
 
 "No, Miss Joy, I haven't touched it !" Leah 
 protested. 
 
 Miss Fielding stamped her foot. "You 
 must have! It was all right when I left it 
 here last. Who could have done it, if you 
 didn't!" 
 
 Leah grew more and more uneasy, but 
 stood her ground. "Indeed, I didn't touch 
 it, Miss Joy ! ' ' she repeated. 
 
 "You're all the time meddling with my 
 103 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 things. IVe caught you at it before. You 
 know altogether too much. Well, go back to 
 your work now ! ' ? 
 
 Leah left in silence, and Miss Fielding put 
 back the house and locked it up. A hard 
 look came into her face that I had not seen 
 before. 
 
 Her temper passed off almost as soon as 
 it had risen, and she was as gay as before. 
 So until luncheon-time, she worked while I 
 looked over the magazines and talked with 
 her. 
 
 We sat, at luncheon, on opposite sides of 
 the table in a long and rather narrow room 
 without windows, lighted by a huge skylight. 
 The walls of this strange place were covered 
 with an old-fashioned imitation tapestry pa- 
 per whose fanciful patterns consisted of con- 
 secutive scenes from The Lady of the Lake. 
 Everything about the table was heavy, spot- 
 less, valuable and old, from the yellow linen 
 to the hand-made forks and spoons. We 
 were waited upon by King, a smiling, round- 
 faced Chinaman with a cue coiled up on top 
 104 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 of his head, and wearing a snowy white uni- 
 form. He moved like a ghost in and out. 
 Leah and Uncle Jerdon I noticed, when the 
 door was opened, eating at a table in the 
 kitchen. 
 
 Miss Fielding and I spent the afternoon 
 together in the library. She worked and 
 talked alternately ; it appeared that she could 
 not do both at once, and always had to stop 
 with her tool in hand when she spoke to me, 
 like a child. Occasionally she would come 
 over to my chair and seat herself familiarly 
 upon the arm as she joked with me. Then 
 she would spring up, to galumph up and 
 down the room, sidewise, running her hand 
 mischievously through my hair as she passed. 
 I took no notice of the liberty, but I was a 
 little surprised at it. It began to rain that 
 afternoon and by five o'clock it was so dark 
 that Leah came in to light the candles in the 
 silver sconces on the walls. Miss Fielding's 
 spirits were gradually tamed. I asked her to 
 play the violin for me but she refused mood- 
 ily without excuses. 
 
 105 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Our talk fell to books, and I went back to 
 Leah's surprising love for Browning. 
 
 "Oh, Leah knows more than is good for 
 her," Miss Fielding said. She was on the 
 window-seat, looking out at the steadily fall- 
 ing rain, her feet curled up under her. 
 "Leah's so educated that she's unhappy; it's 
 a great mistake, that. I can't seem to keep 
 her in her place any more. But really, I 
 don't see any poetry in Browning, do you?" 
 
 "Why!" I said, "I thought you were fond 
 of Browning that you 'felt' him, even if 
 you didn't 'see' him. Didn't Leah do that 
 for you?" 
 
 "Leah! Fancy! What d'you mean by 
 'seeing' and 'feeling' him, anyway?" She 
 turned to me with her chin resting on the 
 curled back of her hand. 
 
 "They're your own words," I answered, 
 testily perhaps. 
 
 She opened her eyes wider. "Oh, I mean 
 what do you mean?" 
 
 I didn't answer. 
 
 "If I said it," she continued slowly, as if 
 106 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 searching for a plausible excuse, and then 
 giving it up, "I suppose I was trying to im- 
 press you. You mustn't expect me to be con- 
 sistent all the time." 
 
 "I'll never expect you to be again," I said, 
 now irritated by her contrariness. I suppose 
 I showed it in my tone. 
 
 She came right over to me, and took my 
 hand, sitting on the arm of my chair. ' l Oh, 
 Chet," she pleaded, "don't mind me. I'm a 
 fool, and I know it. I know you don't ap- 
 prove of me any more, but I can't stand it to 
 have you cross with me. I can't bluff you 
 any longer, so I might as well tell you. The 
 fact is, my memory is bad. It's really a 
 disease. Amnesia is the name of it. Now do 
 you see! It isn't my fault, is it? I can't 
 depend upon myself for anything. Some- 
 times I absolutely forget all about a thing 
 that happened only yesterday. I have great 
 blank spaces in my life when I don't know 
 what has happened. It's perfectly awful! 
 Did you ever hear of any one like thati" 
 
 "Do you really mean to tell me that you 
 107 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 forget what you said to me about Brown- 
 ing ?" I asked her, taking her hand, for I 
 was filled with a sudden pity. 
 
 "Yes, Chet, sure I do!" She rolled my 
 seal ring between her fingers as she looked 
 down. 
 
 "And about preferring 'Joy' to 'Edna', 
 too?" 
 
 "Oh, did I say that, too? Yes, I forget." 
 
 "It doesn't seem possible!" I exclaimed. 
 Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it 
 seemed the crux : ' ' And about ' the island ' ? " 
 I held my breath. 
 
 "What 'island'?" 
 
 I dropped her hand. It was too much for 
 me. "Oh, never mind." I sighed. "I'm 
 very sorry. But I don't quite see, yet. Has 
 this anything to do with your refusal to play 
 for me?" 
 
 She rose, now, and tossed her head back, 
 with that shake I had noticed before. The 
 gesture seemed to be the only link between her 
 two moods, and, for a moment, she seemed 
 to be again the melancholy princess. But the 
 108 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 phase passed instantly, and she grew petu- 
 lant. 
 
 "I don't know how to play well enough. 
 It bores me." 
 
 I refused to let her off, however. "Then 
 how about playing chess!" 
 
 She shrugged her shoulders and said : ' ' Oh, 
 I haven't got the kind of brain for chess." 
 
 My mind leaped over the remark, obviously 
 untrue, to get to the other side of the perver- 
 sity, where I might see more clearly. 
 
 ' ' But it 's incredible ! " I cried. ' ' How do 
 you get along! How do you account for 
 things! Do you mean to tell me that you 
 can't remember yesterday, for instance! 
 Not even what you did!" 
 
 She was growing more and more impatient. 
 * ' No sometimes I don 't know how much time 
 I've lost at all. You see, it's like being 
 asleep, that's all. That's what Doctor Copin 
 comes down here for." 
 
 "Oh, I see!" I exclaimed. 
 
 "That, and other things " she hinted co- 
 quettishly. 
 
 109 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Ah?" I raised my eyebrows. "Among 
 the other things, I suppose, is the fact that 
 you're perfectly charming." 
 
 "Oh, I don't think he quite ignores that," 
 she laughed, and then, her mood changing, as 
 'A it had been pent up by such serious dis- 
 cussion and sought relief, she bounded away 
 and galumphed madly up and down the room, 
 waving her hands. 
 
 After dinner we spent the evening by the 
 fire. She had put on an evening gown of 
 black net over silver tissue, in which she 
 looked more like a princess than ever. But 
 it was only the costume now; her demeanor 
 was far from royal. She snuggled herself 
 into a bunch on the fur rug by the hearth, 
 disclosing one slender ankle and a stocking 
 of snaky silver silk. Had she not been so 
 slender and petite, I might almost say she 
 sprawled, though her hoidenish abandon was 
 not quite immodest. She had her coffee and 
 a cigarette or two, chattering a steady stream 
 meanwhile. I could get no more about her 
 malady out of her; the subject seemed to an- 
 110 
 
After dinner we spent the evening by the fire. Page no 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 noy her. But I could not get it out of my 
 raind. I went back over what had passed, 
 and found that her explanation accounted for 
 much that had baffled me. Still, it did not 
 account for everything. It did not account, 
 for instance, for the way she now treated me. 
 
 She got up, after a while, as if annoyed at 
 my abstraction, and began to roam up and 
 down the room. 
 
 "I guess coffee makes me a little drunk," 
 she remarked. I did not quite get the point 
 of this till she stopped behind my chair and 
 ran her fingers through my hair carelessly. 
 
 "What a jolly wig you've got, Chet! Your 
 hair is almost as fine as mine." 
 
 The familiarity made me, I confess, some- 
 what uncomfortable. I was neither a prig 
 nor a prude, but her talk of the afternoon had 
 wrought on me. I couldn't quite see my way. 
 I didn't at all like, for instance, what she 
 had said about Doctor Copin's coming down 
 for more than one reason. Perhaps it was 
 this, more than any instinctive dislike of her 
 unconventionality, that put me on my guard 
 111 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 with her, and made me appear to ignore what 
 I acknowledge, in other circumstances I 
 might have been tempted to take advantage 
 of. For she was distinctly making up to me. 
 I could see that very plainly. She did like 
 me. So I was unchivalrous enough, or 
 chivalrous enough, if you like, to try to keep 
 her at arm's length, though that is putting it 
 rather too strongly. 
 
 It was not so easy, though, that night, with 
 the seclusion, the comfortable open fire, the 
 soft lights, and the rain outside. The situa- 
 tion was romantic ; I was alone with 'a pretty 
 girl, prettily gowned, and quite frankly de- 
 sirous of a little more intimate companion- 
 ship than I vouchsafed. Somehow I was 
 rather proud of myself, having at that time, 
 after all, such hazy reasons for forbearance. 
 I scarcely need add to this that I was be- 
 coming fond of Miss Fielding, in spite of the 
 puzzling mystery about her. She was allur- 
 ing in any mood. My intuitions, however, 
 were all for caution. 
 
 With such distractions the hours flew fast 
 112 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 The candles burned low and flickered till we 
 talked only by the light of the fire. She told 
 me a good deal of her life as a girl there 
 were no lapses of memory at that time how 
 she had been left an orphan and had always 
 been more or less of a hermit thereafter. 
 Part of the time she played with my hand, 
 quite as a child might. Part of the time she 
 sat, her chin at her knees, gazing into the dy- 
 ing flames in the fireplace. Then she would 
 smile, look up suddenly, and quote some non- 
 sense rhyme, or make fun of my discretion. 
 Her body was never quite still ; she was ner- 
 vous and restless. If nothing else about her 
 moved, her toe would be describing little cir- 
 cles on the rug. 
 
 She and Leah helped me up-stairs at ten 
 o'clock. Miss Fielding flung me a cheery 
 ' ' Good night, Chet ! ' ' and went into her room 
 alone. 
 
 A few minutes after, I heard a soft tapping 
 at my door. Leah was there with a jug of 
 milk and some biscuits. 
 
 1 i I thought you might like something to eatj 
 113 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 perhaps, before you went to bed/' she said. 
 "Miss Joy forgot to speak of it." 
 
 "Thank you, Leah," I said, taking the 
 little tray. I was about to close the door 
 when she gave me a look that delayed me. 
 
 "Did you want anything else?" I asked. 
 
 "Do you mind if I speak to you for a 
 minute?" she asked. She stopped and lis- 
 tened intently for a moment. 
 
 "Leah, where in the world are you?" 
 Miss Fielding called impatiently. 
 
 Leah spoke in an undertone to me. 
 "Please wait. I'll be in as soon as I can." 
 Then she went into Miss Fielding's room. 
 
 I left my door ajar and sat down by the 
 window. The rain had ceased, and a full 
 moon was breaking through masses of drift- 
 ing cumulous clouds over the top of the hill 
 behind the house. I could hear the dogs 
 snapping and growling occasionally in their 
 sleep, and below, in his little box of a room 
 off the library, Uncle Jerdon's deep snoring. 
 I must have been there for fifteen minutes be- 
 fore Leah reappeared \,ith her candle. She 
 114 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 shut the door noiselessly and came softly up 
 to my side. 
 
 "Mr. Castle, how are you feeling, now?" 
 she asked. 
 
 "Oh, I'm afraid I'm getting well," I said, 
 smiling. "Why? Do you think I ought to 
 be leaving?" I asked the question jocosely, 
 but she took it up with seriousness. 
 
 "I'm really afraid you'd better, Mr. Cas- 
 tle." She looked me square in the eyes. 
 Her own shone very wide and deep. 
 
 "I don't wish to hurry you," she went on, 
 "but it will be much better for you to leave 
 as soon as you can. You'll forgive me for 
 mentioning it, won't you? I hope that you 
 won't think that I don't realize my position; 
 but I can only say that I am doing what I 
 think is best. If I weren't so sure that you 
 are a gentleman, and a friend of Miss Joy's, 
 I'd never dare mention it. But, oh, there'll 
 be trouble if you stay, and Heaven knows 
 we've had trouble enough." Her voice grew 
 lower at the end of her sentence, and then 
 she breathed poignantly, "Oh, please go!" 
 115 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I felt a pang of self-reproach and a great 
 pity for her. "Oh, I'll go !" I reassured her. 
 "I understand. Or, at least, if I don't quite 
 understand, I'm sure you're quite right. I 
 think I can get away to-morrow morning, if 
 you'll get the carriage for me." 
 
 "I'll attend to that. Uncle Jerdon can 
 drive you to the station. And don't, please, 
 mention it to Miss Joy that I spoke to you 
 about it. She may ask you to stay she likes 
 you, really; but she doesn't know what I 
 know, and I don't dare tell her." She 
 clasped her hands and pressed them closely to 
 her breast in the intensity of her feeling, as 
 she added, "You must help me, Mr. Castle! 
 I have nobody else to turn to." 
 
 "Are you sure that I can't help you by 
 staying here?" I asked. "I'll do anything 
 you suggest. Why can't you trust me? I 
 dread to think of your having to fight it out 
 alone, whatever it is." 
 
 "Oh, I don't dare to tell I have no right 
 to tell," she moaned, turning half away, look- 
 ing down. "Indeed, I wish I might. It's 
 116 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 breaking my heart. ' ' She turned to me again 
 with a desperate glance. "We'll get on, 
 somehow. ' ' 
 
 "The doctor will help you, won't he? 
 Surely you can trust him?" 
 
 She gave me a frightened look, and her 
 white teeth shone through her parted lips, 
 gleaming in contrast to her fine dark face. 
 Then her eyes strayed again, and she said, 
 slowly, "Do you think he can be trusted?" 
 
 "Why not?" I replied, watching her 
 shaxply. "How, at any rate, can I tell, af- 
 ter having seen him only once ? ' ' 
 
 She gave a quick indrawn sigh. ' ' Oh, once 
 was enough for me!" 
 
 "You mean that you don't trust him?" I 
 exclaimed in surprise. 
 
 "I mean I'm not sure that I do." She 
 was speaking slowly now, choosing her words 
 with an effort. "That's quite as bad, isn't 
 it? For I don't know what to do about him. 
 I am afraid that I may make things worse, 
 perhaps. ' ' 
 
 "You're sure that you can't tell me? 7 ' 
 Ill 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Oh, I daren't! If I were only sure, I 
 might, but even then it would be hard. " Her 
 voice was plaintive, and yet her accent was 
 decisive. 
 
 There was a pause in which I thought of 
 many things. As I waited, uncertain, my 
 eyes stayed on the fine, erect, colored girl be- 
 fore me, so passionately loyal to her mistress, 
 so delicately sensitive to the anomalous part 
 she was playing. Though her resolution had 
 in no way broken down, I could see how she 
 was wrought upon, how difficult a position 
 was hers in that strange house. 
 
 "Well," I said finally, "there's of course 
 nothing for me to do, then, but to leave. Miss 
 Fielding has told me explicitly that your 
 judgment can be depended upon. I have no 
 right here, of course ; I'm an interloper 
 
 She put a dark, well-shaped hand on my 
 arm, in timid reproach. 
 
 "Yet, I hope you can trust me," I added, 
 not hesitating to clasp that hand in friend- 
 ship and confidence. 
 
 She took it away quickly, but looked at me 
 118 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 with her soul in her dark eyes. "Oh, I'm 
 sure of you ! ' ' she said simply. 
 
 "You make it very hard for me to go," I 
 ventured. 
 
 "I shall think of you," she replied. "I 
 shall long for your strength and judgment. 
 I must think it over, more, and try to decide 
 on a line of action. It may be I won't 
 promise that I shall send for you to come 
 down." 
 
 "I'll come at a moment's notice!" I ex- 
 claimed. "Oh, do let me help in some way!" 
 
 "Would you?" She clasped her hands to 
 her breast again and sighed, as if I had 
 really helped her by my promise. Then, 
 "I'm glad to be able to know that. Miss Joy 
 likes you. I think you have a rare sympathy 
 for her condition. It's a relief. Then we'll 
 leave it that way. So you'll go? 
 
 "To-morrow morning," I answered. 
 
 119 
 
vn 
 
 We met, next morning, in the library, for I 
 tould move alone, now, and had gone down 
 early. My hostess, dressed in white duck, 
 was in her most exquisitely graceful mood, 
 quite the delicate, refined, intense woman I 
 had first known. 
 
 "Do you really think that it's safe for you 
 to leave to-day ?" she asked, when I had an- 
 nounced my intention to her. "I am afraid 
 we shall miss you very much, Mr. Castle. I 
 feel quite as if I had made a friend." 
 
 "If you do, it more than repays me for my 
 accident, Miss Fielding. It only remains for 
 you to prove it by permitting me to do some- 
 thing for you." 
 
 She smiled quickly. "Stay here a while 
 longer, then!" 
 
 120 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Ah, you know how glad I'd be to! But 
 I really must get back. I Ve imposed on your 
 hospitality unconscionably, already." 
 
 ' ' Oh, well, ' ' she turned to the window, ' ' if 
 you're going to pay me the conventional com- 
 pliments, we won't press it." 
 
 "If you knew what an immensely unwar- 
 ranted interest I've begun to take in you, 
 you'd spare me," I replied. 
 
 She held out her hand to me, her graceful 
 fingers slightly divergent, exquisitely posed. 
 "Thank you for your gallantry," she said. 
 "You came out of the dark, were literally 
 dumped here, you know, and it has been won- 
 derful that we have understood each other 
 as well as we have." She stayed my inter- 
 ruption, with a wave of her hand. "Oh, I 
 understand you, I think, at least well enough 
 to be sure of you. But, let's be frank you 
 don't quite understand me, yet. You don't 
 quite approve of me. Nevertheless, you like 
 me, and we can be friends. It may indeed be 
 that I shall put you, sometime, to the test, 
 and give you the chance of proving it. Until 
 121 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 that time comes, you'll have to stay on the 
 island, Mr. Castle, I'm afraid." 
 
 I saw by these words that she must have 
 forgotten her revelations of the night before. 
 It didn't seem quite fair not to let her know. 
 So, risking her displeasure, I came out with 
 it. 
 
 ' ' May I venture to remind you of what you 
 said last night I" 
 
 She looked hard at me. "What did I 
 say? What do you mean? About what? 
 We talked of so many things, you know." 
 She was embarrassed, on the defense, watch- 
 ing eagerly my first word of enlightenment. 
 
 "About your memory," I prompted. 
 
 "My memory? I don't quite recall " 
 Her lips were parted and her fists closed a 
 little as she waited. 
 
 "About your having amnesia, you know." 
 
 Her hand went to her heart. 
 
 "I only mention it," I said, "because I 
 don't want to take advantage of any igno- 
 rance you may have concerning my position 
 and what I do know. If you have forgot- 
 122 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ten possibly, I think I ought to tell you, for I 
 can't pretend to be on the island when I am 
 not. It seems to me that quite in spite of my- 
 self I've got off it. What you said about 
 Doctor Copin " 
 
 She caught me up, now, a little wildly, dis- 
 carding further attempt at evasion. Her 
 face had suddenly grown white. "What did 
 I say?" she asked. 
 
 "Oh, only that he was treating you for the 
 amnesia," I replied. I couldn't possibly re- 
 peat the rest of it. 
 
 She put her hands to her face for a mo- 
 ment, hiding its expression. Then she with- 
 drew them, compressed her lips, and, tipping 
 her head back a little, shook it with the old 
 gesture, as if to regain control of herself. 
 Then she came up to me and put both her 
 hands on my shoulders. 
 
 "It isn't your fault, I know, Mr. Castle. 
 But you are off the island, and I'm afraid 
 that it's all over, now." 
 
 "Isn't it really all begun, rather?" I re- 
 plied, 
 
 123 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Her hands dropped to her sides, and she 
 walked away to the window. "Oh, I don't 
 know, I don't know!" she moaned. "You 
 have made me think terrible things. But 
 'never mind. I didn't want you to know about 
 me, I hoped we could be friends without. I 
 couldn't risk it, I can't risk it now. You 
 mustn't try to find out, you mustn't even 
 wonder. Just be a little sorry for me and 
 wait." 
 
 She sat down in the broad window-seat, and 
 laid her head back for a moment among the 
 silk pillows, with a wearied settling of her 
 body, closing her eyes. I didn't know what 
 to say or do, so I did nothing, and was silent. 
 She sat up again, took the crystal prism that 
 still lay there, and gazed into it abstractedly, 
 as if she were seeing visions. Then, still 
 holding it, she looked up at me with a far- 
 away smile. It was a new expression I saw 
 on her face ; it had the pathetic look of some 
 elf, lost in a strange, terrible land. At last 
 she said, ' ' Come over here, and sit down be- 
 side me, please!" 
 
 124 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I did so ; and, still fondling the prism, which 
 shot prismatic colors into the room, she said, 
 as with great effort: 
 
 "Did you ever, in your childhood, read the 
 story of the White Cat? It's a fairy tale, 
 you know." 
 
 The name had struck me as familiar when 
 she used it before, but I could not recall the 
 story. 
 
 "It was one of those tales of the three 
 quests, wasn't it?" I said. 
 
 "Yes; there are many variations of the 
 same theme. It is the story of a king and his 
 three sons. The father decided first to leave 
 his throne to the one who would find the 
 smallest dog in the world ; then he gave them 
 another quest, to find a piece of cloth that 
 would go through the eye of a needle. Of 
 course, the youngest son won each time, but 
 the king wasn't contented, and for the final 
 test commanded them to find the most beau- 
 tiful lady in the world." 
 
 "And the youngest son won, of course. 
 He always does, but he never plays fair. 
 125 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 He's always helped by a fairy godmother 
 or something. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Of course. Such are the ethics of Fairy- 
 land. This prince was helped by a white cat. 
 "While he was on his travels he found her 
 castle in a deep forest, and he was carried in 
 by invisible hands." 
 
 " Just like me," I remarked. 
 
 She looked at me for a moment with an 
 amusing expression of surprise, and a timid 
 smile crept to her face. "That's so, isn't 
 it? How queer! Why, I'll have to give you 
 my little Hiawatha, to carry it out, won't II 
 Will you take him?" 
 
 "Oh, if you would!" I said. "I'd love 
 to have him. It will be delightful to have 
 something that has belonged to you." 
 
 "He's not the smallest dog in the world, 
 but he's yours." 
 
 "And the third quest?" I reminded her. 
 
 "The third quest was the hardest of all. 
 He came to White Cat's castle again, and he 
 stayed a year. They had a most delightful 
 time together." 
 
 126 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I can understand that. Just as we have 
 had." 
 
 Her gaze went down to her feet. "Yes, 
 just as we have had here at Midmeadows. " 
 
 I reached over and took the prism from 
 her hand. I couldn't help wanting to touch 
 her, however casually. 
 
 "And of course you don't need to tell me 
 he did find the fairest lady in the whole 
 world." 
 
 She smiled dimly and clasped her hands. 
 "Thank you," she said, not too absorbed to 
 pay me most graciously for my compliment. 
 Then, more seriously, she added, "Yes, I am 
 the White Cat. That is the way you must 
 think of me, when you have gone. The en- 
 chanted White Cat !" 
 
 I dared not answer. All the peculiar 
 moods she had shown me came up for a new 
 vision. So she knew that something was the 
 matter, something of which her amnesia was 
 only a symptom. She had never come so 
 close to it before. I stooped down, took her 
 hand and carried it to my lips. 
 127 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 " White Cat," I said, "I don't know 
 whether you are enchanted or not, but I know 
 you're enchanting !" 
 
 "Be careful I don't scratch you!" she said, 
 a little bitterly. 
 
 "Ah, White Cat never did that, I'm sure." 
 
 "Yes, once, when she was invisible. The 
 Prince doubted her. Do you know how it 
 ended?" she asked. 
 
 "How?" 
 
 "White Cat told the Prince that, to destroy 
 the fatal work of the fairies, it was neces- 
 sary for him to cut off her head and her tail 
 and fling them into the fire." She put her 
 hand gently upon mine. "Would you do 
 that for me, if I asked it?" 
 
 I puzzled with it. There was something 
 tragic in her tone, but I was quite at a loss 
 to interpret her symbolism. 
 
 "Would it ever come to that? Are you 
 likely to call on me?" I asked her. 
 
 She tipped back her head again, shaking 
 away some unpleasant idea. 
 
 "Ah, this is only the first quest, you know. 
 128 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 You may never come again to my palace. 
 But would you?" 
 
 A dreadful meaning came straight from 
 her eyes to mine. 
 
 "No, I'm afraid I would not. It would be 
 too terrible!" 
 
 She threw off a light laugh, and rose and 
 walked to the book-case beside the chimney. 
 Here she took down an old, tattered, red- 
 covered volume and rapidly turned the pages 
 till she found her place. Then she came back 
 to her seat beside me, and, pointing to the 
 lines, read aloud: 
 
 * ' ' I ! ' exclaimed the Prince. ' Blanchette, my 
 love! I be so barbarous as to kill you! Ah! you 
 would doubtless try my heart; but rest assured it 
 is incapable of forgetting the love and gratitude it 
 owes to you.' 
 
 " ' No, son of a king,' continued she, ' I do not 
 suspect thee of ingratitude. I know thy worth. 
 It is neither thou nor I who in this affair can con- 
 trol our destiny. Do as I bid thee. We shall both 
 of us begin to be happy, and, on the faith of a cat 
 of reputation and honor, thou wilt acknowledge 
 that I am truly thy friend.' " 
 
 129 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "But it ended happily, like all fairy tales. 
 So will yours, I'm sure," I remarked. 
 
 She let the book drop wearily. "It must 
 end some way why not that?" 
 
 I clasped her hand. "You must not think 
 of it, Miss Fielding! It appals me." 
 
 "Well, I won't speak of it again. But I 
 should be glad to have a friend who would 
 help me, if worst came to worst." 
 
 "You forget that, in spite of what I know, 
 I am still on the island, after all; I can't yet 
 judge of such a necessity." 
 
 "Well, Leah and I will fight it out." 
 
 "You said, once, that I could trust Leah 
 in everything. Do you still mean that?" 
 
 "Absolutely. In fact, you can trust her 
 when you're uncertain of me. Do you un- 
 derstand? I can't make it too emphatic." 
 
 "I understand," I said. 
 
 It was almost time to go now, and so, 
 while I went up-stairs to see that my things 
 were ready, Miss Fielding and Leah got Hia- 
 watha, fixed a collar and chain on him, and 
 put him into the carriage, highly excited at 
 130 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 the prospect of traveling. Leah shook my 
 hand and looked into my eyes with gratitude. 
 
 Uncle Jerdon drove up to the front door, 
 and I got in beside him and captured the 
 frisky puppy, who proceeded to bite my hand 
 playfully. It had been arranged that I was 
 to send some one down to repair the automo- 
 bile, and I permitted myself to hope that I 
 might find in that a sufficient excuse to come 
 back myself. So it was not altogether with 
 a feeling of permanent parting that I finally 
 gave my hand to Miss Fielding. 
 
 4 * Well, good-by, White Cat," I said, as 
 Uncle Jerdon took up the reins. 
 
 "Good-by, Prince !" she answered, smiling. 
 
 We drove off, and, as we turned into the 
 long lane which led to the highroad, I saw the 
 two women standing in the sunshine, at the 
 front door, and waved a last farewell to them. 
 With all the sinister suggestions that had 
 been crowding upon me, I could not bear to 
 leave them alone. "White Cat White Cat," 
 was still echoing in my ears. 
 
 Uncle Jerdon winked at me. 
 131 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Lord, she's as crazy as a loon, ain't she?" 
 
 "Do you think so?" I asked coldly. 
 
 "Plum' crazy. She ought to be into an 
 asylum, and would be, if she had any folks to 
 send her there. But she's a dandy when 
 she's all right, you can bet on that!" 
 
 I did not encourage him to go on, and for 
 the rest of the way to the station we talked 
 of his rheumatism and the extravagance of 
 his nephew's second wife. 
 
 132 
 
PART SECOND 
 
 
My machine had been repaired for a week, 
 but I had not had it brought up to town, 
 when I received a note from Leah. It was 
 dated " Tuesday." 
 
 "Come down immediately," she wrote, "if 
 you can think of a plausible pretext, but don't 
 say that I sent for you. Miss Fielding will 
 not ask you, herself, but we need you very 
 much. I trust to you." 
 
 I took an early afternoon train the next 
 day, and, finding no one to meet me at the 
 station, engaged a carriage to take me over 
 to Miss Fielding's place. My driver would, 
 I am sure, have been glad to gossip with me 
 upon the lady's affairs, but I headed off all 
 his hints, knowing pretty well from Uncle 
 Jerdon's insinuations what the tenor of the 
 neighborhood talk must be. 
 
 Midmeadows was about four miles from 
 135 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 the station, and a half-mile back from the 
 county road. The house was approached by 
 two long lanes overgrown with shrubbery 
 and hazels, one from the seaside on the 
 east, and one from the main road on the 
 north. We took the latter, a wild and tan- 
 gled wagon-track, filled with stones and hum- 
 mocks, and worn into deep holes. The 
 boughs of trees constantly scraped across the 
 top of the buggy and often hung low enough 
 to threaten our eyes. Near the house, the 
 lane took a turn round the corner of an ex- 
 tensive, old-fashioned garden of hollyhocks, 
 rose-bushes, poppies and violets, then swung 
 up to the green, eight-paneled front door, 
 with its transom of old bull's-eye panes. 
 The copse came in close to the garden, partly 
 inclosing it on two sides. To the right of 
 the house vegetables were planted, with 
 meadows beyond, and behind, the hill rose 
 almost from the stable. The whole place 
 had a charming natural wildness, and 
 seemed, as indeed it was, miles away from 
 any other human habitation; but it was not 
 136 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 uncared-for; its natural features had been 
 amended and composed with the care of a 
 true artist. 
 
 The house itself was long and low, cov- 
 ered with unstained shingles. A great 
 square brick chimney rose from the middle of 
 the gambrel-roof. The lower windows were 
 leaded and built out into wide bays, but they 
 showed above the little-paned sashes of the 
 original building. The front was almost 
 hidden by climbing Cecil Bruner roses, now 
 odorously in bloom. The southern side was 
 lined with a row of geraniums which rose in 
 huge bushes. Here, in the second story, was 
 another bay-window of curious construction, 
 somewhat resembling the stern of an old gal- 
 leon. It was Miss Fielding's sitting-room, 
 which I had not yet visited. 
 
 The place seemed deserted, for not even 
 the dogs were visible. I got out and 
 knocked, while my driver waited curiously to 
 catch what was, probably, a rare glimpse of 
 the mistress of the house. 
 
 Joy herself, wearing a white duck sailor 
 137 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 suit, with a red handkerchief knotted about 
 her neck, answered my knock. She held her 
 hand to her eyes to shade them from the rays 
 of the afternoon sun, so that I could not, at 
 first, quite make out her expression. The 
 first thing she showed, after her surprise, 
 was a most cordial satisfaction at seeing 
 me. She did not, apparently, expect me, but 
 my presence delighted her. I saw next that 
 she was in trouble. The very intensity of 
 her welcome alarmed me. The two vertical 
 lines between her brows were deeply cut into 
 her forehead, her lips were quivering, there 
 were dark circles under her eyes. 
 
 She drew me quickly into the library, and 
 I saw terror in her look. Her cheeks were 
 pale and wan. Her hand trembled, as it lay 
 on the back of a chair where she leaned. 
 
 "Oh, I am so glad you have come!" had 
 been her first speech, murmured in the hall, 
 and it was repeated now as I stood before 
 her. "I am so glad you have come! I need 
 you so!" 
 
 I had fancied before that her face was one 
 138 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 capable of expressing tragedy not every 
 woman 's is. Tragedy shadowed her face now, 
 giving her a newer, more dramatic beauty so 
 moving that, despite my alarm, I could not 
 help wondering at it. 
 
 "You are not well," I exclaimed. 
 
 "Oh, well enough " she replied. 
 
 "Something is the matter what is it?" 
 
 "Sit down and I'll try to tell you." She 
 dropped into a chair, with her elbow on the 
 table, letting her cheek fall into the hollow 
 of her palm. Her eyes closed for a moment; 
 the soft, long lashes shading her pale cheek. 
 Then she shook herself and sat erect. "I'm 
 so sleepy!" she moaned. "I haven't slept 
 since night before last." 
 
 I sprang up from the window-seat. 
 "Won't you lie down here and rest? Do!" 
 I pleaded. 
 
 "Oh, I don't dare! I don't dare!" she 
 cried. 
 
 "Tell me what is troubling you, so that I 
 may try to help you!" 
 
 She looked up and said, "Leah has gone!" 
 139 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 and she put out a hand that trembled with a 
 despairing gesture. 
 
 "Gone!" I repeated. " Where?" 
 
 "I don't know where. I don't know when 
 she went. I don't know even why." 
 
 "Do you fear she has met with an accident, 
 then?" 
 
 "Oh, no, not that. Worse than that!" 
 She spoke helplessly. 
 
 "Worse?" I could not understand. 
 
 "I mean I think I must have driven her 
 away. ' ' 
 
 I still could not guess. "Why, how could 
 you have done that? You mean that she 
 took offense at something, perhaps?" 
 
 "Oh, I must have made it impossible for 
 her to stay." 
 
 "But what did you do? She was devoted 
 to you." 
 
 She sprang up and wailed out with bitter 
 vehemence, "Oh, I don't know ! I don't know! 
 If I only knew, I could do something. But 
 what can I do-, now? She's gone. She was 
 my right hand, my eyes, my ears, my memory 
 140 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 but it's not that I It's that I could have 
 been cruel enough to her to drive her away. 
 Where is she? Where could she have gone, 
 do you think? I've waited and waited to 
 hear from her, or for her to come back two 
 whole days! I didn't go to bed at all last 
 night. I didn't dare, lest she should come 
 while I was asleep.'* 
 
 "You expect her to return, then?" 
 
 She was walking up and down the room, 
 her hands clasped behind her back tightly. I 
 could see that she was on the verge of hys- 
 teria. She turned to me again, and said : 
 
 "Oh, Leah would never abandon me, 
 never! She's too true for that. But she's 
 afraid to come back!" 
 
 I went up to her and led her gently to the 
 seat. 
 
 "Now," I said, "tell me exactly what has 
 happened." 
 
 She broke out again wildly, her face twitch- 
 ing with excitement. "I don't know! Don't 
 you see I don't know? That's the horror of 
 it! I may have killed her, for all I know!" 
 141 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Ah! Do you mean," I began, afraid to 
 say it, "that youVe forgotten?" 
 
 She stared at me. "Forgotten? "Well, 
 you may call it that. Yes, I've forgotten." 
 She put her face into the pillow and began 
 to sob convulsively. After this nervous 
 crisis had spent itself she sat up, wiped her 
 eyes and said with a faint, spectral smile: 
 
 "Oh, I'll have to tell you everything, now. 
 I can't bear it any longer. It was bad 
 enough while I had Leah to depend upon, but 
 now I must have somebody to confide in, or I 
 shall go mad if I haven't already gone 
 mad." 
 
 I looked over at the table where I noticed 
 a coffee-pot and a cup on a salver. "How 
 much coffee have you drunk?" I asked. 
 
 "Oh, I don't know. Cup after cup. I've 
 been drinking it all day to keep me awake." 
 
 "That accounts for your nerves. You 
 must rest. If you sleep a little, you'll get 
 your strength back." 
 
 She sprang up suddenly, her gripped fists 
 raised, her head thrown back in a sudden new 
 142 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 access of alarm. "Oh, no, no, no! You 
 don't understand! I daren't sleep! I'm 
 afraid afraid! How do I know what may 
 happen, now when I'm so worn out!" 
 
 I had done considerable thinking while I 
 was away, and I had done some reading as 
 well. I was beginning now to make it out, 
 piece by piece, and put it together in an as- 
 tonishing whole. It was too late, in this 
 crisis, for reserves, too late for me to keep to 
 my promise of not trying to know. The girl 
 was distraught and alone. And, indeed, the 
 door to the cupboard where her skeleton had 
 been hidden was now well ajar. 
 
 "You are afraid, you mean, of the otfyer 
 one?" I brought it out deliberately. 
 
 She stared at me, like a somnambulist. 
 
 "Yes," she whispered, "of the * other 
 one.' " 
 
 Then for the first time, and quite uncon- 
 sciously, I think, she used my name. It 
 seemed so natural to me that I was not sui- 
 prised. 
 
 "Oh, I'm so glad you know, at last, Ches- 
 143 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ter. I'm so glad that it will be easier to tell 
 you." She put her hand on my arm and 
 looked up at me in tenderest confidence. 
 4 'Now you know why I called myself the 
 6 White Cat.' " 
 
 "Yes, I see. Don't be alarmed. I'll help 
 you. You must calm yourself and we'll find 
 out a way. I know her, you know. ' ' 
 
 "Yes, I know you do. You must tell me 
 all about her, sometime. How you must 
 have hated me!" 
 
 1 1 Perhaps I can manage her, but no matter 
 about her, now. We must think it all out, 
 and decide calmly what to do. I'm not 
 afraid. Trust me, and I'll see you through. 
 It will all come out right, I'm sure." 
 
 I went on so, purposely iterating such 
 phrases to lull her, and key down the intense 
 strain which wrought upon her. Her eyes 
 kept on me, and I saw my influence work 
 my suggestion, I might say, since it was pur- 
 posely hypnotic. Her hysteria made her 
 abnormally sensitive to the treatment. She 
 relaxed her attitude slightly, sighed, and 
 144 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 dropped back among the silken pillows be- 
 hind her. 
 
 "Oh, you're so good!" she breathed. 
 "You will help me, I'm sure. You have 
 helped me already! You're so strong it's 
 such a comfort to have you here!" She 
 reached her hand out shyly and put it in 
 mine, where it lay, small and cold. It was the 
 first time she had done so, except under the 
 direct stress of an earnestness strong enough 
 to rob the act of any personal suggestion. 
 It was a distinct caress, fearless and genuine. 
 
 "Now," I said, "begin at the beginning, 
 and tell me all about what has happened." 
 
 She took it up again with a new courage. 
 "As I've said, I don't know when Leah left. 
 I only know that when I rang for her yes- 
 terday morning she didn't come. I went into 
 her room and she wasn't there. She wasn't 
 down-stairs. King didn't know anything 
 about it." 
 
 "Nor Uncle Jerdon?" 
 
 "Uncle Jerdon has been away for three 
 days, visiting his nephew, who's ill. You 
 145 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 see, she the other one was here for two 
 days running. It hasn't happened so for 
 years. So whether it happened, whatever 
 did happen, on Monday or Tuesday, I can't 
 tell. Leah might have left either day." 
 
 "How do you know that 'the other one' 
 was here for two days?" 
 
 "Only because Sunday is the last thing I 
 remember before yesterday morning. The 
 doctor was down then. You know that 
 there's a hiatus when she's here a perfect 
 blank in my memory. I lose time, as she 
 does, when I'm here." 
 
 Her mention of the doctor started a new 
 train of thought, but I put that by for the 
 present, to tell her of the letter I had re- 
 ceived from Leah, which made it probable 
 that she had left on Tuesday, the second day 
 of "the other one." The situation was seri- 
 ous enough, I was sure, for me to disobey 
 Leah's injunction to secrecy. 
 
 "Oh," said Joy, "that relieves my mind 
 a little. It shows that Leah had a plan, and 
 she must have stayed somewhere near here, 
 146 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 expecting yon, though how she happened to 
 miss you, I don't see. It's quite right for 
 you to have told me, for I had already tele- 
 phoned to you to-day, after you started. I 
 was surprised to see you appear so soon, for 
 that reason. I was at my wits' end yester- 
 day, hut I hated to drag you into this. But 
 what could I do? Doctor Copin has gone 
 out of town for a few days. ' ' 
 
 "I'm glad you sent for me," I said. "I 
 shan't have to feel that I'm intruding. But 
 now the question is, why doesn't Leah come 
 back? Why didn't she wait for me at the 
 station!" 
 
 "She must have been awfully frightened, 
 to have gone away like this," Joy said. 
 
 "Perhaps she discharged her I know she 
 complained of Leah a good deal." 
 
 " Yes, I Ve thought of that. But I fear it 's 
 even worse." 
 
 "In any case, there's no reason why she 
 shouldn't come back, now that 'the other one' 
 has disappeared," I said. 
 
 "How can Leah tell?" Joy exclaimed. 
 147 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "How will she know whether it is I or 'the 
 other one'? We're really the same person, 
 outwardly. There's no difference that she 
 could recognize unless she talked to me. 
 That's what has terrified me." 
 
 Then, for the first time, I saw the dilemma. 
 How, indeed, could Leah know? The same 
 woman, the same clothes but yet, how dif- 
 ferent! "Have you no sign?" I asked. 
 "Haven't you ever arranged it with Leah so 
 that she can tell?" 
 
 "Oh, not for a case like this. It has never 
 been necessary. You see, the change always 
 comes at night, at least always during sleep, 
 so that when I wake up she can tell right off, 
 by asking me what I'll have for breakfast. 
 We've arranged it so that I shall always give 
 a fanciful reply, and let her give an obvious 
 commonplace one. But now, Leah daren't 
 come in, for she knows that if I should hap- 
 pen to be 'the other one,' there'll be the same 
 terrible something that happened before a 
 quarrel, or worse." 
 
 "Still, there are some apparent diffe > 
 148 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ences. You dress differently, it seems to me. 
 You usually wear white. Won't Leah know 
 by her experience of you both?" 
 
 "Oh, no; you can't tell. She's so whim- 
 sical sometimes she'll do one thing, and 
 sometimes another, like a child. You can't 
 depend on her. She's tricky, too." 
 
 "I could tell, I'm sure by your eyes. 
 Hers are darker, and the pupils are dilated, 
 aren't they, usually?" 
 
 "Yes but Leah daren't come near enough 
 for that, don't you see? Oh, she must be in 
 agony, poor girl ! But how do I know? She 
 may be dead!" 
 
 "You forget that she has written to me 
 since leaving. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, yes that is a relief. But I may 
 have hurt her." 
 
 "Oh, Joy! Don't say you could have it 
 was not you, it was Edna." 
 
 "Well, how can I tell whether or not I'm 
 responsible ? ' ' 
 
 "I don't think she would have struck her," 
 I said. 
 
 149 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "No? She did once, though. She stabbed 
 Leah with a carving-tool on the wrist. It al- 
 ways sickens ine to see that scar. Oh, she 
 has a temper! Poor Leah!" 
 
 She lay back on the cushions again and 
 closed her eyes. Her hand had relaxed in 
 mine. 
 
 I looked at her, so wearied and pale, and 
 said softly: 
 
 "You just drop off to sleep for a little 
 while, and I'll think it over " 
 
 She nerved her body, and pulled herself up. 
 
 ' ' Oh, no ! " she exclaimed. " 1 'm dying for 
 sleep, but don't you see I can't? If I should 
 fall asleep who would it be that would awake ? 
 It might be she." 
 
 "By Jove!" I cried, "I hadn't thought of 
 that!" 
 
 "I've thought of nothing else. That's 
 why I've stayed up and kept awake while I 
 am so exhausted. If Leah comes back, she 
 must find me here, and not 'the other one.' 1 
 must see her and find out what has hap- 
 pened we must arrange for everything and 
 150 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 decide what plan to adopt to circumvent her. 
 Oh, I must keep awake ! ' ' Even as she spoke 
 her head dropped again heavily. 
 
 "You can't tell, then, when the change is 
 likely to come ? ' ' 
 
 "Sometimes I have a feeling a premoni- 
 tion like that night, don't you remember, 
 when I was so blue! I knew that I was go- 
 ing to change. But usually I can't tell. 
 She has come lately, about two days in the 
 seven, but irregularly. It's almost always 
 after a deep, heavy sleep. You remember 
 how late she used to lie abed? That's what 
 worries me now. I'm absolutely exhausted, 
 and if I do fall asleep, I'll go down deep. 
 So deep, I'm afraid, that I'll change. Can 
 you think what a horror that is to me? I 
 must stay up till Leah comes. You must 
 promise to keep me awake by every means in 
 your power. But even then, what are we 
 going to do? How can we arrange a way 
 for Leah to get along with her?" 
 
 "That's where I come into the game," I 
 said. "I think I can solve that problem." 
 151 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "How did you get on with her?" Joy 
 asked timidly. It was quite as if she were 
 asking about another woman, and feared to 
 commit an impertinence. "Do you like 
 her?" she added. 
 
 "She's not to be compared to you, of 
 course. But there's much that's likable 
 about her, and at least, we get on beautifully. 
 And so we shall this time, if she'll only let 
 me stay. That's the difficulty." 
 
 "Oh, she'll let you stay, she'll be only too 
 glad. She likes you, Leah says." Her 
 brows drew together, and I wondered how 
 much she knew. 
 
 "Well, then, I'll undertake to make her 
 keep Leah." 
 
 "Oh, if you can do that on any terms 
 we can stand it, both of us. Leah will suffer 
 anything, I'm sure, rather than leave me." 
 
 ' ' One thing more, then since I must have 
 all the information if I am to do anything 
 what does she know?" 
 
 "About me? Nothing, I think. At least 
 she has never been told, I mean we've al- 
 152 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ways kept it from her. She thinks she's the 
 only one." 
 
 "I don't see how that can be possible!" 
 
 "It does seem strange; but then, you know 
 she's mentally undeveloped. In some ways 
 she's a mere child. And then, too, she has 
 never known it to be any different why 
 should she suspect that there is another per- 
 sonality that she isn't the real Joy Field- 
 ing? She's conscious that she loses time, 
 so to speak, and she thinks it is only the fault 
 of her memory." 
 
 I thought it over a while. Then I said: 
 "She wouldn't say much about it to me, and 
 so I didn't quite get her point of view. It 
 baffles me. She must know that she does 
 things in the lapses, even if she doesn't re- 
 call them." 
 
 "I don't know that she's even aware of 
 that. She may think that she's unconscious, 
 during these lapses, but most likely it is just 
 like dreams. Even if we vaguely remember 
 them, for a moment, we forget them, and 
 they don't seem to have been real or, per- 
 153 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 haps, they're like delirium, or insane inter- 
 vals, of which she has no memory. Why, a 
 man may even be simply drunk, and not re- 
 call what he has done, and that self is, really, 
 a different personality." 
 "But," I pursued, "do you forget, too?" 
 "Yes. That is, almost always. At times 
 I have had vague formless memories, as one 
 has of dreams that's about as much as this 
 second life ever is associated with my nor- 
 mal one if what I now have is the normal 
 how do I know even that? But I have 
 known about the duality almost from the 
 first, and of course Leah keeps me informed 
 of everything that happens. You see, some- 
 times I'm not even aware that there ftos been 
 a lapse I don't realize that it isn't just the 
 next day. Leah tells her as little as possible 
 about me. She 's easily managed and put off, 
 usually, but somehow of late she seems to 
 have grown stronger. She seems to be de- 
 veloping mentally. It frightens me a little." 
 "You don't think that anybody has told 
 her, possibly?" I suggested. 
 154 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 " There's nobody to tell her. Of course 
 Leah never would. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Uncle Jerdon?" 
 
 "Oh, he thinks I'm crazy, and he never 
 talks, anyway, I'm sure. He doesn't real- 
 ize what's happening, for, after all, we're 
 not obviously different; she might be taken 
 for me in some queer mood, I mean," she 
 added. 
 
 "King?" 
 
 "I believe he thinks that I'm possessed of 
 a devil. Which I think I am ! ' ' She paused 
 to smile faintly. "Anyway, he minds his 
 own business. I have an idea that he has a 
 reason for wanting to keep quiet." 
 
 "Or, lastly, then, the doctor?" I put it 
 hesitatingly, yet I wanted to know what she 
 would say. Her answer was prompt. 
 
 "He wouldn't tell, I'm sure. Why, he 
 wants to cure me. It would spoil all chance 
 of that, I think, if she knew." 
 
 I wasn't so sure of the doctor, after what 
 Leah had said to me, but it would do no good, 
 now, to mention that. She had trouble 
 155 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 enough at present not to worry her with new 
 doubts. 
 
 "Then, is it possible that she might have 
 come across some evidence of you, in your 
 writings, or something that would arouse her 
 curiosity?" 
 
 "Oh, I think she hasn't the least suspicion. 
 As I said, it must all seem natural enough 
 for her to lose time she has always done 
 so. Everything is accounted for to her by 
 the fact that she forgets. Of course, I am 
 careful to hide everything that is strictly my 
 own, anything, that is, that she would not un- 
 derstand. Leah keeps all my private letters 
 under lock and key. I'm very careful, for 
 I've been on my guard since it first began." 
 
 "How long?' 'I asked. 
 
 "Ever since I was thirteen. That's when 
 she came first." 
 
 "It's incredible!" I exclaimed. "Of 
 course, I've heard of such multiple personali- 
 ties, of the celebrated ones, but they've 
 seemed only like queer, improbable cases out 
 of a book monstrosities. Or I've regarded 
 156 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 them as half-crazed or hysterical or somnam- 
 bulistic. But you, Miss Fielding! You seem 
 so beautifully sane, so poised, so complete 
 it's like a fairy tale. Oh, you are the * White 
 CatM You are under a spell!" 
 
 "It's only because I'm not a poor girl that 
 I'm not a mere 'case,' I assure you. You 
 don't know what a life I've led, how every 
 physician I've had has wanted to study me, 
 or put me in a sanatorium or a hospital or 
 an asylum or worse. Yes, if I hadn't the 
 money, I should probably be in a mad-house 
 at thi moment. Do you realize how easy 
 it would be for a physician to put me there? 
 From the ordinary point of view, I'm virtu- 
 ally insane part of the time. I have been in 
 great danger, Chester. But, having some 
 money, I have been able to get away from 
 people and seclude myself and retain my 
 freedom if you call it freedom to be cheated 
 out of part of your natural life ! I have had 
 Leah, and she was enough. She under- 
 stands, she 's loyal, and she is, above all, wise 
 and good." 
 
 157 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "But the doctor what about him?" 
 
 "Of course I must have a physician at 
 times, and Doctor Copin is a good one, and 
 interested in my case. He has been moet 
 kind to me. Of course I am interesting, 
 though, psychologically, and he's probably 
 written a monograph about me for some med- 
 ical society already. But I have him chiefly 
 for medical troubles, and to keep general run 
 of this thing, enough to advise me. ' ' 
 
 This was rather different from what Edna 
 had led me to believe, so I said: 
 
 "He hasn't attempted to treat you for this 
 psychological dissociation?" 
 
 "No. He has wanted to. In fact, he's al- 
 ways urging me to allow him to see what he 
 can do, but I won't let him. He wants to 
 hypnotize me but I don't quite dare 
 would you ? ' ' 
 
 " No, " I said. " I 'd advise you not to. If 
 that's to be done you ought to go to a great 
 specialist." 
 
 I thought I had a clue now that would bear 
 158 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 following up, but I decided to think it over a 
 while before I spoke of it. 
 
 So intently had we talked, that we had 
 scarcely noticed the darkness which had 
 fallen until King's gong aroused us. Joy 
 rose wearily. 
 
 1 ' Would you mind lighting the candles 1" 
 she said. 
 
 She waited till all the sconces were burn- 
 ing and then, as I went to the window, she 
 said : 
 
 "No, leave the shades up, please! I want 
 the windows left so that Leah, if she comes, 
 may look in. I feel somehow that she is near 
 here, that she will come this evening, if she 
 dares." 
 
 "Why haven't you been out where she 
 could see you, then? Have you thought to 
 call her ?" 
 
 She looked at me blankly. "Why, I 
 haven't thought of that, have I? But would 
 she dare come?" 
 
 "Try it now!" I exclaimed. 
 159 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I will!" She went to the front door and 
 threw it open and cried : 
 
 "Leah! Leah! Leah! Come here! It's 
 all right. I want you, dear! 7 ' 
 
 There was enough in the scene the still- 
 ness that ensued, the gathering mysterious 
 twilight that shrouded the house, the tragic 
 quaver in Joy's voice to make me thrill to 
 its dramatic power. She stood there for a 
 few minutes, all in white, waiting, her hands 
 clasped on her breast, vividly illuminated by 
 the candles. But no sound came out of the 
 shadows of the night. 
 
 Joy closed the door; then, with quick sec- 
 ond thought, she returned to leave it ajar, 
 and came back into the library. 
 
 We had moved almost to the dining-room, 
 when, on a sudden whim, she paused, turned 
 and looked toward the window. My own 
 eyes followed hers. There was a dark face 
 peering in so dark that the whites of the 
 eyes and the teeth were almost all that was 
 visible, though enough to show who it was. 
 
 "Leah!" Joy cried, and ran again to the 
 160 
 
THE WHITE CAT, 
 
 door, crying out hysterically. She called 
 again, but no answer came. 
 
 It occurred to me that the excited accents 
 of Joy's voice might well be misleading, and 
 for the first time I thought to try myself. 
 Joy had returned, to throw herself down, sob- 
 bing, full length upon the window-seat, her 
 heart breaking with the suspense and disap- 
 pointment. The strain was too much for 
 her, after her hours of hope and fear. I did 
 not stop to comfort her then, but ran to the 
 doorway and stood in the lighted hall there 
 in plain sight. 
 
 "Leah!" I called. "Come here, it's I 
 Mr. Castle. I want you!" 
 
 There was still no reply, but, feeling sure 
 that Leah must be near at hand, I started off 
 vaguely in the dark. I had gone but to the 
 turn of the lane when I heard footsteps, run- 
 ning. Then in a rush Leah was upon me, 
 and had seized my hand. 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Castle! I'm so glad you've 
 come but I was afraid to go in. I was 
 afraid I might make it worse if she was there. 
 161 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Who is it? Tell me quick! Is it my own 
 Miss Joy, or the other ?" 
 
 "It's Joy," I assured her, "and she's wait- 
 ing for you. You must come at once." 
 
 She paused a moment, evidently wonder- 
 ing if I knew the secret. 
 
 "You're sure?" she said. "You know 
 that there are two ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes I know everything, now, and this is 
 Joy your Joy!" 
 
 She bounded forward, and I with her, 
 stumbling in the dark, into the doorway, to 
 the library. There for a moment she 
 stopped, trembling so violently that her teeth 
 chattered audibly. Joy was still lying 
 stretched out at full length upon the cushions 
 of the window-seat. At the first glance Leah 
 did not see her, but then she ran forward, 
 knelt, and threw her arms about her mistress. 
 
 But the next instant, starting back as if she 
 had embraced a corpse, she sprang up and 
 faced me, her eyes opened wide in horror. 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Castle, she's asleep! Miss Joy's 
 asleepl" 
 
 162 
 
H 
 
 For a moment I was too surprised to real- 
 ize the full significance of Leah's cry. Then 
 Joy's own words came back the wail of her 
 harassed soul "If I should fall asleep, who 
 would it be that would awake?" There she 
 lay, asleep at last. Her small head lay upon 
 her arm, and her oval face was now flushed, 
 her lips half parted, showing her little blue- 
 white teeth. The crisp white duck blouse 
 moved gently with her breathing beneath 
 her skirt two tiny red shoes lay one over the 
 other. 
 
 As she herself had said, she was so utterly 
 exhausted that she would "go down deep." 
 Dared we awaken her! Certainly not Leah, 
 who, of course, had seen the whole awful pos- 
 sibility on the instant. 
 
 I had to decide. What was to be done 
 must be done quickly. If Joy were allowed 
 163 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 to sleep long and deeply we might confidently 
 expect "the other one" to awaken. The 
 question was, could we, perhaps, rouse her 
 before that incomprehensible change had 
 taken place ? It seemed to he the only thing 
 to do. I determined, at all events, to take 
 the risk. 
 
 Meanwhile, Leah had fallen into a chair, 
 overcome with the disappointment of the sit- 
 uation. She was in a distressing state; her 
 skirt was torn and soiled, her shoes dusty, 
 her waist disheveled. Her black hair was 
 awry; she was hatless. I thought at first 
 that she, too, had fallen asleep from sheer 
 fatigue. 
 
 I went to her and laid a hand on her shoul- 
 der to rouse her. She started with a fright- 
 ened jump. 
 
 "Leah," I said, "I'm going to awaken 
 Miss Fielding. It's the only thing to do, I 
 think. We may be able to get her again, be- 
 fore she changes. But if not, we must be 
 ready with some plan by which to manage 
 Edna. We must hurry, though. First, tell 
 1G4 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 me in the fewest possible words what has 
 happened. Joy, of course, didn't know." 
 
 Leah had braced herself for the ordeal and 
 was now quick, alert and concise. "She got 
 angry on account of my i trying to run her,' 
 she said. You see /the other one' was here 
 for two days. I've always been able to man- 
 age her for one day, but the second day she 
 seemed to be much stronger, and it was 
 worse than it has ever been before. She 
 found out that I had burned some of her 
 old clothes Miss Joy had told me to and 
 so she discharged me and told me to leave 
 the place immediately. I wouldn't go, and 
 she went into the barn and got a horsewhip 
 and threatened me with it. I was afraid, Mr. 
 Castle! She was in a fearful temper. I 
 was afraid she'd kill me. Then I went. I 
 stayed all night in the Harbor. I wrote to 
 you as soon as I got there, for I couldn't get 
 you on the telephone. Yesterday I hung 
 about the place all day, but she didn't ap- 
 pear, and I was afraid to come in. I posi- 
 tively didn't dare, though I knew it probably 
 165 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 was Miss Joy. To-day I stayed in that old 
 cabin down by the road all day, for I was 
 pretty sure it must be she who was here. I 
 was so tired I fell asleep and that's how I 
 missed you, I suppose. I've had hardly any- 
 thing to eat since yesterday only a few bis- 
 cuits I brought with me." 
 
 I had been thinking out a plan as I listened, 
 and as soon as she had finished I gave Leah 
 her orders. 
 
 "Listen, now. If it is 'the other one' who 
 awakens, I'll tell her that I happened to meet 
 you in the Harbor, and induced you to come 
 back, on my own responsibility. Do you see ? 
 I'll manage it; you needn't be afraid. I'll 
 take care of you, and it will be all right. 
 Of course if it is Joy who wakes up, that will 
 be better. But we must act quickly. Can 
 you tell immediately who it is that awakens, 
 Joy or 'the other one'?" 
 
 "Oh, we can tell that easily enough, by the 
 way she treats me ! ' ' 
 
 "Very well, then. You must awaken her 
 now!" 
 
 166 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I sat down where I could watch, and Leah 
 went hesitatingly up to her mistress again, 
 and shook her shoulder gently. 
 
 "Wake up, Miss Joy!" she said softly, but 
 firmly. "Wake up, you're catching cold, 
 honey." 
 
 Joy moaned, turned a little, then drew 
 herself together again drowsily. 
 
 "Wake up, Miss Joy, you must have your 
 dinner now!" 
 
 She moved again, and muttered, "Oh, I'm 
 so sleepy! Let me go to sleep, Leah, 
 please!" 
 
 Again Leah shook her. It seemed cruel to 
 have to bring that exhausted body back to 
 life. "Wake up, Miss Joy. Mr. Castle's 
 here to see you ! Wake up ! " 
 
 She opened her eyes now, and stared va- 
 cantly at us. Then her face changed glori- 
 ously. She flung her arms round Leah's 
 neck. 
 
 "Oh, Leah! Leah! You've come back 
 tome!" 
 
 It was some moments before either of the 
 167 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 women was able to speak. They clung to 
 each other, sobbing. 
 
 After the first hurried words of explana- 
 tion were over, Joy went up to her room to 
 wash her face and freshen herself for what 
 was yet to be done. Leah went with her, al- 
 most too happy to think of her own sorry ap- 
 pearance. Both came down, after a while, 
 in a change of costume, and went with me 
 into the dining-room where King was pa- 
 tiently waiting to serve the meal so long de- 
 layed. Joy showed plainly the ravages 
 which two days of suspense and agony had 
 accomplished, but she was braced mentally 
 by my presence and Leah's return, and in a 
 condition to discuss calmly what was to be 
 done. Leah had also rallied from her col- 
 lapse, and the dinner brought her strength 
 and courage. 
 
 The meal was over before we had settled 
 how Leah could be kept in favor with "the 
 other one" whom we agreed, hereafter, to 
 call Edna and we were still uncertain as to 
 our actions in regard to many other compli- 
 168 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 cations which might arise. It depended 
 principally upon the extent of my influence 
 with Edna. To hear Joy discuss these 
 phases of her condition in that other state 
 her fondness for me, her whims, her weak- 
 nesses gave me a strange sensation. But 
 what struck me as most remarkable in her 
 talk was the sense of justice she always 
 showed in regard to Edna. One might have 
 expected Joy to resent the intrusion of this 
 second personality, so inimical to her own 
 interests, but she never failed to acknow- 
 ledge Edna's rights. Indeed, her whole atti- 
 tude was that Edna was strictly another 
 person, rather than some part of herself 
 broken off and endowed with an independent 
 existence which was my theory of the situ- 
 ation. 
 
 I quite lost myself in the subtleties of the 
 case. To know that probably on the mor- 
 row I should be face to face with this same 
 woman, in form and feature precisely the 
 same, and yet as different from her, really, as 
 the West is from the East, gave me, in spite 
 169 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 of my effort to concentrate my mind upon 
 the affair, a sort of mental instability which 
 was disconcerting. I could not quite believe 
 that she would or could change. She seemed 
 too real, too normal, if I may qualify such 
 adjectives. And besides all this, I had be- 
 gun to think of her in another way, which 
 made the prospect of any such change seem 
 unbearable. 
 
 Meanwhile, Joy grew steadily sleepier. 
 She roused herself occasionally, by an effort, 
 but would droop the moment she had stopped 
 speaking. Coffee no longer stimulated her. 
 She began to walk up and down the room, 
 leaning on Leah's arm, as if she were fight- 
 ing off the effects of laudanum. Her suf- 
 fering was cruel. We had, at last, to resort 
 to strychnia. 
 
 So, for another hour we talked, while she 
 became more haggard, more weak. Up and 
 down, up and down the room they went. We 
 talked of seeking the advice of some special- 
 ist, here or abroad, of the possibility of a di- 
 rect appeal to Edna, in the chance of some 
 170 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 compromise to be effected, of Leah's actions 
 should she be peremptorily discharged again, 
 of the prospect of her being able to stay in 
 the vicinity, to return as soon as Joy's own 
 personality had reasserted itself, of the 
 proper method of safeguarding Joy's prop- 
 erty, of the possibility of Edna's actually de- 
 parting from Midmeadows there were a 
 hundred sides to the subject, and all baffling. 
 There seemed to be nothing to do but to 
 await further developments and see if I my- 
 self could not succeed in managing Edna. I 
 rather wondered at the fact that Joy did not 
 once mention the doctor as a possible coop- 
 erator with us. It seemed to me that she in- 
 stinctively distrusted him, though she never 
 permitted herself to say so. It was no doubt 
 her fairness, rather than any conviction of 
 his ability, that prevented. 
 
 Finally she stopped, scarcely able to hold 
 herself up, as frail as a wilted flower, and 
 said, with an effort at a smile : 
 
 "I'm afraid it's no use, Chester; I'm too 
 far gone to think. I can't control my mind 
 171 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 any longer. I must have sleep. You and 
 Leah will have to settle it together I'll 
 leave it all to you I '11 agree to whatever you 
 think best. I'm no more use than a baby to- 
 night. Let me be your little sister and tell 
 me what to do. I 'm tired, tired tired. ' ' 
 
 My heart ached for her. Her mouth was 
 trembling like a child's just before crying, 
 her eyelids hung heavy, all but closed. What 
 she must suffer at the thought of sinking into 
 temporary oblivion and resigning herself to 
 the inevitable possession of "the other one," 
 I could easily imagine. I implored her to go 
 to bed. 
 
 When the two women had left, I pulled 
 down the curtains, seated myself in the arm- 
 chair, lighted my pipe and began to think it 
 over. 
 
 I had seen Edna but twice, but, from what 
 had happened, I was able to form a fair idea 
 of her character. She was, in the first 
 place, by no means the equal of Joy's true 
 self. Mentally she was less developed; in 
 some respects, as Joy had said, a mere child. 
 172 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 She was inclined to be untidy, full of animal 
 spirits, and constructive, in a mechanical 
 way. She was not fond of animals; not, at 
 least, of the dogs, and the same strain showed 
 itself, I thought, in her prejudice against 
 Leah, as a colored woman. There was some- 
 thing of that lack of charity, also, in the fun 
 she had made of Uncle Jerdon, something of 
 which Joy herself would be incapable. Edna 
 was inclined to be bromic; Joy was indubi- 
 tably a sulphite. Lastly, there was, I re- 
 membered, that hint of what would I call it? 
 indiscretion? forwardness? in the way 
 she had "made up" to me that last evening I 
 spent with her. 
 
 Here, perhaps, was a suggestion as to how 
 I might manage her. It was not pleasant; 
 the less so because I must necessarily keep it 
 from both Joy and Leah. From Joy for ob- 
 vious reasons I could not think of permit- 
 ting her to suspect that, even in this other 
 phase, she was in the least lacking in deli- 
 cacy from Leah because she was, in her 
 way, finer even than Joy. It would cause 
 173 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 her, in fact, the keener suffering to know that 
 any such thing was going on in the house. 
 And yet I could not quite bear to act, even in 
 these circumstances, secretly. The matter 
 had been left to my judgment; but I could 
 not yet make up my mind what was right. It 
 was a choice of two evils, perhaps, but the 
 thought of permitting even the lesser one to 
 obtain troubled me. In a few words, Edna 
 was apparently fond of me. I didn't care to 
 put it any more strongly than that at present, 
 nor to say that I would admit this basis of 
 friendship as a condition in which I could 
 manage her. But the thought was affording. 
 While I was turning over in my mind this 
 phase of the problem Leah came down. 
 
 "She fell asleep while I was undressing 
 her," she said, taking a chair drearily. "I 
 have never seen her so absolutely exhausted. 
 She'll sleep late to-morrow; and," she added 
 with a shudder, ' 1 she '11 not wake up herself. ' ' 
 
 "Well, then, we'll have to be prepared for 
 Edna," I replied. 
 
 "I'm so afraid of to-morrow!" said Leah. 
 174 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Not for myself, you know, Mr. Castle. I'm 
 willing to endure anything. But if she in- 
 sists upon my leaving here again, what shall 
 I do? I simply can't leave Miss Joy ! What 
 would she ever do without me!" 
 
 "I think I can manage it," I said, though, 
 indeed, I was far from being confident. And 
 then, to draw her out more, I added: 
 4 'What I'm wondering is, if we hadn't better 
 send for Doctor Copin." 
 
 "Oh, don't!" she pleaded. "You must 
 take hold of this alone, Mr. Castle. He's 
 been down here several times since you left, 
 and I'm more afraid of him than ever. 
 More, even, than I am of her." 
 
 "Why, what has happened?" 
 
 "Oh," she cried, "that's just what I don't 
 know. She sent me away usually, and often 
 they were alone together all day. Some- 
 times they went off on long walks, too." 
 
 "With her with Edna, I mean, or with 
 Joy?" 
 
 "Oh, with Edna, of course never with 
 Miss Joy herself. ' ' 
 
 175 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 This gave me more to think about. If she 
 had acted with the doctor as she had with 
 me, a good deal depended upon the kind of 
 man Doctor Copin was. 
 
 "You saw nothing, then, to arouse your 
 suspicions V 9 1 asked. 
 
 I saw immediately, from her embarrass- 
 ment, that she had ; but she finally said : 
 
 "No, nothing to amount to anything, I 
 think. " It was easy to see her motive in 
 this denial, I thought. She could not bring 
 herself to say anything that might seem like 
 an accusation of her mistress, even her mis- 
 tress in this other person. She went on ; 
 
 "There's another thing that worries me. 
 She's been telephoning to the doctor almost 
 every day. She never did that before, and I 
 can't understand it. I don't think of any rea- 
 son she can have, for physically she's quite 
 well." 
 
 "You mean Edna has?" 
 
 "No! Miss Joy herself. Of course Edna 
 does, all the time." 
 
 "How long since Joy has been doin^ so?" 
 176 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 1 < About two weeks she began, I think, 
 soon after you left." 
 
 "And the doctor has been coming 
 oftener?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Does the doctor come usually when Joy 
 is here, or when Edna is?" 
 
 "Almost always when it's Edna." 
 
 "How does Doctor Copin know when she 
 is here?" 
 
 < ' That 's a mystery. I 've wondered myself 
 about it, but I don't know." 
 
 "Leah," I said, after thinking a while, 
 "do you think you can trust me, whatever 
 you should happen to notice that seems, let 
 us say, a bit too much like what the doctor 
 might be imagined as doing?" 
 
 "You mean?" She drew a quick breath. 
 "Oh, that? Why should you suggest it? 
 Don't ask me to, please!" 
 
 "It would be better than permitting you 
 to be driven away, wouldn't it?" I insisted. 
 
 She did not answer. 
 
 "I don't say that any such thing will be 
 177 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 necessary," I added, "but I don't want you 
 to be surprised at anything. I don't want, 
 in any way, to be underhanded with you. 
 It seems that you must, in any case, leave it 
 wholly to me. That is, of course, provided 
 there is no one else you can call on." 
 
 "Oh, there's nobody else! Miss Joy has 
 no near relatives, and any one we might send 
 for would perhaps be only too glad to have 
 her shipped off to an asylum so that they 
 could get hold of her property. That's what 
 has always complicated it. That's why she 
 lives here alone. It might be, too, why we 
 should watch the doctor himself." She 
 stretched out her hands appealingly to me. 
 "Oh, Mr. Castle, you must have heard of 
 such cases I'm told they're common. Can't 
 we drive her away for ever ? ' ' 
 
 "The doctor probably knows a good deal 
 more about that than I," I replied. "I think 
 that's probably why he's so much interested. 
 But, if you don't trust him, the very fact that 
 he does know so much about the subject 
 makes him the more dangerous. I must have 
 178 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 a talk with him. Do you know when he'll 
 come again?" 
 
 "He may be here at any time. There's 
 no telling. I don't think Miss Joy knows, hut 
 I have an idea that he may have arranged it 
 with Edna. You can find that out for your- 
 self to-morrow, can't you?" 
 
 "I think that I may be able to find out a 
 good deal, if you '11 only close your eyes. ' ' 
 
 Again that quick, indrawn breath, as if she 
 were struck with a sudden pain, and she rose 
 and stood before me. 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Castle, I can't help trusting you! 
 I must trust you ! ' ' 
 
 "Will it help you," I said, looking her 
 straight in the eyes, "if I tell you that I like 
 Joy immensely that, in fact, I'm very, very 
 fond of her?" 
 
 She took both of my hands in hers, kneel- 
 ing before me. "Oh, Mr. Castle !" she cried, 
 "if you only do! If I could believe that, it 
 would be such a comfort to me ! I've wanted 
 to believe it ever since you first came down. 
 She's so alone she has no one in the world 
 179 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 but me! She needs yon so much! Oh, you 
 could do so much for her!" 
 
 "There's nothing, Leah, that I wouldn't 
 do for her, believe me. Nothing! Do you 
 know what that means ? It means that I may 
 have to do what she herself would never con- 
 sent to have me do." 
 
 That was as far as I dared to go with the 
 girl; indeed, it was almost as far as I had 
 gone with myself. I could see hints of what 
 it might possibly come to ; but just how it 
 would work out, I had no idea. It would be 
 time enough for that, when it was time. But, 
 on the whole, Leah was pacified and strength- 
 ened by my confession. As she was nearly 
 in a state of collapse, by this time, I sent her 
 to bed, and remained to smoke in the library. 
 
 The question was, now, whether Edna 
 wouldn't wonder why I had come down. I 
 had, of course, the excuse of my motor-car to 
 account for that, but I thought it likely that 
 she wouldn't be exigent in the matter of ex- 
 cuses, and would be quite ready, for her own 
 reasons, to welcome me to Midmeadows. At 
 180 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 any rate, I decided that I would stay, whether 
 or no. Joy most certainly wanted me here, 
 now that the White Cat was out of the bag, 
 and I was quite prepared to strain a point, 
 if necessary, to induce Edna to be hos- 
 pitable. 
 
 It was now ten o'clock, and, excited as I 
 was, I found myself in no mood for sleep. 
 So, hearing King grinding coffee in the 
 kitchen, I walked out there to make his ac- 
 quaintance. As I came in, he looked up and 
 grinned serenely. 
 
 "Hello! You come back?" he said af- 
 fably. 
 
 "Yes, I'm back, King," I replied, and 
 stood with my hands in my pockets, watch- 
 ing. 
 
 "I thought you come!" he said, nodding 
 his head wisely. 
 
 "Oh, you did, did you?" I inquired. 
 "Why?" 
 
 He went on automatically with his coffee- 
 mill, still grinning inanely. "You likee Miss 
 Fielding?" he asked audaciously. 
 181 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Heap much!" I said, laughing. He 
 laughed with me. 
 
 "Aren't you lonesome here, King?" I 
 asked next. "Not many Chinamen around 
 here, are there?" 
 
 "Oh, Chinamen no good! All time make 
 tlouble." He poured the ground coffee into 
 a canister and took down a pot. 
 
 "There's a Chinese laundry over at the 
 Harbor. Don't you go over there some- 
 times to smoke a pipe f ' ' 
 
 "Aw! No good smoke pipe. More better 
 stay here." 
 
 Now this was contrary to the habits of 
 Chinamen as I had known them, and I 
 scented something interesting. 
 
 "You no play fan-tan? " I asked. 
 
 "Aw! Fan-tan no good," King replied 
 contemptuously. "All time lose heap money. 
 No good!" 
 
 He shook his head again as he shook down 
 
 his fire, poked it, and went to the sink to 
 
 wash his hands and wipe them on the roller 
 
 towel. I watched -his deft, precise inove- 
 
 182 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 merits ; he was like a machine in the accurate 
 way in which he handled everything. 
 
 "What tong do you belong to, King?" I 
 asked presently. 
 
 He gave me a cunning look. 
 
 "What-a-matter you?" he demanded. 
 "What for you want to know! " 
 
 "Hip Sing?" I persisted. "See Yup? 
 SamYup? What tong?" 
 
 "You sabbee China tong?" he asked. 
 
 "Oh, sure! You tell me, King. I keep 
 him quiet. I no tell." 
 
 "Say!" he exclaimed, approaching me, 
 grinning, "sometime you help me get away?" 
 
 "You in trouble, eh? What's the matter? 
 Hatchet-men after you?" 
 
 He still grinned in the absurd way Celes- 
 tials have, when the subject is most serious. 
 "No ca tehee me!" he declared. 
 
 "Oh, I see. They're trying to find you, 
 eh? What's the matter? You steal China 
 girl? You take tong money? You kill Sam 
 Yup man, maybe?" 
 
 He kept his grin and his secret. "Tha's 
 183 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 all light, no catchee me!" was all I could get 
 out of him. But I thought I had a suspicion 
 as to why he was contented to stay alone, so 
 far from any of his race, and never go to 
 town or even smoke opium or play fan-tan at 
 the Harbor. 
 
 184 
 
in 
 
 By the next morning my mind had cleared 
 somewhat, and I rose full of eagerness and 
 interest for what was to come. I looked for- 
 ward to it, now, as to a play where I myself 
 was to go upon the stage and act a part. I 
 got down-stairs early, to be ready upon the 
 scene. 
 
 The day was fine, and I stepped outside, 
 first, to pay a visit to the dogs, who scrambled 
 over me in an ecstasy of delight, crouched, 
 leaped, ran off and returned, exuberant 
 with life and affection. King was out- 
 side, watering a patch of flowers, and grinned 
 a welcome. I took a turn down the lane, 
 reveling in the sweet-scented morning air 
 laden with the perfume of the hundreds of 
 rose-bushes in front of the house, and then 
 back, quite tuned up for any emergency. 
 
 Leah had not yet appeared, so I went into 
 185 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 the music-room which opened from the hall, 
 opposite the library. Here further evidence 
 of Miss Fielding's taste was evident, 
 though, except perhaps for my own chamber, 
 it was the most formal room in the house, 
 with as fine a collection of Chippendale, 
 Sheraton and Heppelwhite furniture as I 
 have ever seen, and a ceiling plainly a replica 
 of Adam's. The room, in fact, was almost 
 like one of those chambers in show palaces 
 whose entrances are roped off with crimson 
 cords. 1 felt that I oughtn't to be surprised 
 if, on approaching the harpsichord in the cor- 
 ner, I found upon it a printed card with the 
 legend: "Defense de toucher." 
 
 While I was looking about, I heard Leah's 
 footsteps hurrying down the stairs. I turned 
 and waited for her, and my glance must have 
 spoken as plainly as any words, for as soon 
 as she saw me she said: 
 
 "It's 'the other one,' Mr. Castle. She's 
 up, now. She's telephoning to the doctor." 
 
 "How is she?" I asked. 
 
 "She's fresh and well enough, but she's in 
 136 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 a bad temper. I had an unpleasant scene 
 with her. She wanted to know why I was 
 here, and I told her what you said that you 
 had met me and asked me to come back with 
 you. Then she quieted down a little, and 
 asked me when you came and how long you 
 were going to stay. She seemed to be glad 
 that you were here, and it pacified her, but 
 I'm awfully afraid that she'll send me away 
 again ! ' ' 
 
 " Don't lose courage," I said. "If she's 
 glad to see me, that's a good sign, and it will 
 make it easier for me. But we mustn't seem 
 to be plotting here together. It won't do to 
 arouse her suspicions, whatever we do. You 
 leave it to me, and cheer up ! " 
 
 With that, I walked into the library and 
 waited. It was not long before I heard Miss 
 Fielding's door open and heard her whistling 
 as she came rollicking down the stairs. 
 
 These noises, so thoroughly dissociated 
 from my idea of Joy herself, created uncon- 
 sciously a mental impression ; an expectation 
 that, without thinking of the absurdity of it ? 
 187 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 quite unprepared me for the sight of her 
 when she appeared. I don't quite know what 
 I did expect something a bit unfamiliar, un- 
 natural, I suppose but what I saw was, of 
 course, only the Miss Fielding I had always 
 seen, pretty, slender, exquisite, the same 
 brown-eyed, dark-haired creature as ever, at 
 first glance the same woman whom I had left 
 the night before, only now refreshed and full 
 of life. It gave me a distinct shock. At sec- 
 ond glance, it is true, there were almost unde- 
 finable, yet perfectly distinguishing marks 
 of the new personality of Edna; and as I 
 noted them the carelessness of her hair, her 
 dilated pupils, the rolled-up sleeves of her 
 shirt-waist, the odor of Santal, and above all 
 a refreshing youthfulness I adjusted my- 
 self quickly to the situation. 
 
 She came forward with a swinging stride 
 and her hand held out in jovial welcome, 
 smiling. Her grip was like a man's, as she 
 said, "Isn't it dear of you to come down and 
 see me, Chet! I was afraid that you'd got 
 enough of me before aiid wouldn't ever want 
 188 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 to come back again. I've missed you aw- 
 fully. Sure, I have! " 
 
 She kept the hand I gave her, and swung 
 it playfully. I said something about the au- 
 tomobile. 
 
 "I hope you can stay a while, now youVe 
 come," she went on. " There are all sorts 
 of things we can do, now you're well, you 
 know. Is your rib all right, now? Can I 
 hug you, if I want to 1 " She laughed frankly 
 at me. 
 
 "I want to talk to you about Leah," I said. 
 "I hope you'll forgive my taking the liberty 
 of bringing her back, but I knew that you 
 would have changed your mind, and would 
 miss her terribly. I thought that, if I 
 brought her back and asked you to keep her, 
 it would save you the embarrassment of send- 
 ing for her, you know. Of course, you must 
 have her here. You could never find any 
 one who would fit in as well, who knows your 
 ways; and, even if you could, Leah's too fine 
 a girl to let go that way." 
 
 Her face clouded and she answered pet- 
 189 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 tishly. "That girl's no good, Chet. She's 
 regularly spying on me. She watches me all 
 the time, and I won't have it. She interferes 
 with my things, too, and she thinks she's too 
 good to be a servant. If she'd only keep her 
 place I wouldn't mind so much, but I won't 
 have a nigger putting on airs with me. I've 
 got to get rid of her!" 
 
 "But you can't get along without some 
 one," I protested. 
 
 "Oh, yes, lean!" 
 
 "Why, even Uncle Jerdon's not here, 
 now. ' ' 
 
 "Well, there's King." 
 
 "King isn't exactly what you'd call a 
 chaperon, is he?" 
 
 She laughed and began to galumph up the 
 room and back. "Oh, I don't need one, 
 do I?" 
 
 "It seems to me you do if I'm to stay 
 here!" 
 
 " 'Fraid-cat, 'f raid-cat!" she taunted, 
 starting off again, sidewise. 
 
 I had to laugh, and by a quick inversion 
 190 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 she became serious, coming back to me, her 
 chin up, her hands behind her, jiggling up 
 and down on tip-toes. 
 
 "Do you really want me to keep Leah?" 
 *he asked. 
 
 "I really do," I answered gravely. 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 "Because I'm fond of you, and I think you 
 ought to have her help. ' ' 
 
 "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Are you really 
 fond of me, Chet?" 
 
 "Of course I am when you behave." 
 
 "I might try her again," she said thought- 
 fully. 
 
 "She must stay here as long as I do, at 
 least; or else I can't remain." 
 
 She inserted her little finger into a button- 
 hole of my coat and said, without looking up, 
 "Will you stay as long as I keep her, then?" 
 She looked up, now, to smile at her strategy. 
 
 "I won't promise that," I replied, "but I 
 shall certainly go if you get rid of her. ' ' 
 
 "Then I'll keep her. But it will" be for 
 you to see that she behaves, Mr. Chet." 
 191 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 With that, she was away again, debonairly 
 frolicsome. 
 
 I felt as if I had won the first battle, and 
 could afford to hope that I might manage her. 
 I was, however, skating on pretty thin ice, 
 and it would take considerable skill to keep 
 out of danger if I pursued these tactics much 
 further. I had to encourage her enough to 
 propitiate her and keep her friendly, with- 
 out letting the affair get away from my con- 
 trol. 
 
 She danced into the library again to sug- 
 gest that we go for a walk, and I followed her 
 outdoors. As we passed the yard in the rear 
 I saw the dogs lying in the sun. We had not 
 got within twenty feet of them when they all 
 rose, laid back their ears and began to 
 growl. Old Nokomis, who had greeted me so 
 affectionately, only a half-hour ago, stood 
 with her brush down, grumbling, her head 
 tilted, her eyes on Miss Fielding. 
 
 She turned to King, who was filling a pail 
 at the pump. 
 
 "Say, King, you tie up the dogs in the sta- 
 192 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ble, hear? I won't have them about, bark- 
 ing and growling at me." She made an im- 
 patient threatening gesture at Nokomis, who 
 retreated, still watching sharply, till, with an 
 angry yelp, she turned, and ran into the sta- 
 ble. The other collies followed her. It was 
 uncanny. 
 
 "I'm going to sell those dogs pretty soon," 
 she remarked carelessly, kicking at a thistle. 
 "I don't see why in the world you wanted 
 that puppy." 
 
 "Because you offered him to me," I an- 
 swered, to see what she would say. 
 
 "Take them all, then, if you like," she 
 said. "I confess I'm afraid of them some- 
 times." 
 
 We went along a lane behind the stable and 
 beside a potato patch, and then, rising rap- 
 idly, through a gateway to a scrubby hillside, 
 covered with huckleberry bushes and sweet 
 fern. Miss Fielding, for so I must still call 
 her, or you will perhaps forget that she was 
 to all intents and purposes physically the 
 same in this secondary personality, stuck her 
 193 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 hands in the pockets of her red golf-jacket 
 and swung up the path between the boulders, 
 with a frank joyousness and comradeship 
 that seemed as natural in its abandon as the 
 windy air and the sunshine ; and yet, mingled 
 with it, was a sort of innocent trickery the 
 petty ruses of a primitive woman cropping 
 out through a veneer of civilization. 
 
 I doubt if I can recall in precisely their or- 
 der the little things which occurred after that 
 to make me notice as evidences of her pur- 
 suit of me, but, as significant of her degree 
 of craft, they amused me mightily. If I 
 mention them, however, it is only fair to me 
 to bear in mind that I regarded her quite as 
 an abnormal phase of womanhood. She was 
 not merely another person in Miss Fielding's 
 guise, she was only the part of a person a 
 collection of functions sufficiently synthesized 
 to have an independent consciousness and 
 volition, but by no means a perfect whole. 
 This is, I believe, the modern interpretation 
 of multiple personality. Certain definite 
 psychological tracts are split off and run 
 194 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 themselves, so to speak. One might perhaps 
 say that it is as if France, Germany, Austria 
 and Italy should float off the map, and achieve 
 a lesser Europe of their own. The line of 
 cleavage in Miss Fielding's case was chiefly 
 along intellectual and moral lines ; Edna was 
 a lesser and, mentally, a younger Joy less 
 cultured, less conscientious. It was quite in 
 this way that I studied her. 
 
 She stopped in the lane before we got to 
 the gate, and, unfastening the little gold chain 
 with a sapphire pendant which she had about 
 her neck, held it out to me. 
 
 1 i Here, would you mind taking this, Chet? 
 Keep it safe for me, please! I'm afraid I 
 may lose it." 
 
 I reached for it, but before I could take it 
 she had herself tucked it into my vest pocket 
 and patted the place humorously. 
 
 She stopped again, afterward, to ask me to 
 tie her shoe-lace. It was patently one of the 
 many attempts she was always making to es- 
 tablish a closer physical contact, an effort 
 to keep the relation personal. I remember, 
 195 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 also, that not long afterward, having climbed 
 up a sandy bank with my help, and with 
 compliments upon my strength, she stopped 
 at the top to take off that same shoe and 
 empty it of sand, disclosing quite unaffectedly 
 a delicate little foot in a grass-green silk 
 stocking. I helped her also over several 
 stone walls, as she appeared to expect it, 
 smiling to think how often she must have 
 scaled them unassisted. We passed cows of 
 which she professed to be much afraid and 
 clung tightly to me for protection. It all 
 sounds crude enough, but it was prettily done, 
 and I was more amused than critical. 
 
 We reached the top of the hill and threw 
 ourselves down on the grass to rest. To the 
 east, the land fell away, mottled with boul- 
 ders and bushes, with a bunch of trees here 
 and there, and away in the distance was the 
 sea. On the other sides the middle distance 
 was blocked with woods. It was warm and 
 sweet with a fresh earthy smell, and still as 
 a church. 
 
 She lay prone and, plucking a blade of 
 196 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 grass, fell to playing with an ant-hill under 
 her nose. I watched her, lazy and peaceful, 
 basking in the June sunshine. 
 
 "Have you seen Doctor Copin lately I" I 
 asked. 
 
 "No. He may come down to-day, though. 
 I hope he will. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, you like him, then?" I said, giving 
 my voice the inflections of mock jealousy. 
 
 "Not as well as I do you," she said, rolling 
 a little nearer me to tickle my ear with her 
 straw. 
 
 "What makes you think he'll come?" 
 
 "I telephoned to him this morning, and he 
 said he might. He's just got back to town 
 and wants to see me. He runs down when he 
 likes." 
 
 "On business, I suppose?" 
 
 "Yes, about my memory. He makes dia- 
 gram things and tries experiments on me. ' ' 
 
 I was interested. "Experiments? What 
 kind?" 
 
 "Oh, he asks me if I remember things. 
 You see, he tries to tell with his diagram 
 197 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 things just when I shall forget and when I'll 
 remember, and he comes down to fix them 
 up. I don't understand it much, but he says 
 that he's going to cure me." 
 
 "Oh, he's going to make you remember 
 everything, I suppose." 
 
 "I hope so." 
 
 "Do you remember what happened yes- 
 terday?" I asked. 
 
 "Why, I sent Leah away, didn't I?" 
 
 ' ' No, that was three days ago. ' ' 
 
 "Was it?" she returned, heading off an 
 infuriated ant with her straw. She seemed 
 to take little interest in the subject. 
 
 "What did you want me to take back 
 Leah for, anyway?" she asked. 
 
 "I think she's honest and devoted. She's 
 thoroughly fine. Do you realize what temp- 
 tations a girl might have who knew that you 
 forgot things?" 
 
 "I suppose she would. I never thought 
 of that." As she spoke she crushed the ant 
 with a twig. 
 
 198 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "And Leah's mother was your nurse, too, 
 wasn't she?" 
 
 "Yes, but Leah presumes on that and 
 thinks that she can do anything she wants. 
 Doctor Copin doesn't like her, either. He's 
 got another girl he wants me to engage." 
 
 I couldn't help exclaiming, "Oh, I hope 
 you won't!" 
 
 "Well, perhaps I won't, if you don't want 
 me to, Chet. I was going to ask your advice 
 about it. It'll make the doctor furious, but 
 I don't mind. Poor Doctor Copin ! I'm sorry 
 for him, though. He 's awfully hard up. ' ' 
 
 "Why! Is he so poor?" I smelled a 
 mouse. 
 
 "He's all the time complaining to me, at 
 any rate." 
 
 "I should think you'd be afraid to keep 
 much money in the house. It 's such a lonely 
 place for burglars, you know. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, I don't keep much on hand. But I 
 always have a little. I have a small income. 
 It comes down every month. It's rents or 
 199 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 stocks or something. It's safely Invested 
 and I don't bother about it." 
 
 It struck nae that she took all this rather 
 easily, but I soon found that it was the way 
 she took everything. It had always been 
 that way with her, and she saw nothing 
 strange in it. Her amnesia accounted for 
 everything. I saw how easily she might be 
 led. Impressionable, and with a hasty, wil- 
 ful temper, one who knew her temperament 
 could soon learn to control her. I began 
 to see how Leah's influence, which had here- 
 tofore been potent, might, perhaps, be under- 
 mined by the doctor. Here was the next 
 thing to be investigated. But I would have 
 to wait till I had had a talk with him. 
 
 She plucked a dandelion and put it into my 
 buttonhole, looking up at me coquettishly as 
 she did so. 
 
 "Chet, d'you know, I like you!" she re- 
 marked. 
 
 "Oh, I'm not a bit offended at that," said 
 I. 
 
 "I wish I could make you like me a little." 
 200 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "You are looking for a sinecure, aren't 
 you!" 
 
 She returned to her ants and poked at 
 them meditatively. 
 
 "I don't know why I tell you such things," 
 she went on. "I've never done so before. 
 But you understand don't you?" 
 
 Oh, yes. I understood. I had heard that 
 sort of thing often enough before. 
 
 "I like you because you treat me just as. 
 you'd treat a man. You're not always re- 
 membering that I'm a woman. The doc- 
 tor " She broke off. I understood this, 
 too, but it amazed me to find that she, so far 
 away from the world, could have so easily 
 found the woman's way. 
 
 "You've got a perfectly stunning profile," 
 was her next play. 
 
 I showed her how, by pressing in the tip 
 of my nose, it could be made decidedly He- 
 braic in contour. She pulled my hand away 
 with a pretty protest at the outrage to my 
 looks. 
 
 Next, she complained that her hair was 
 201 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 " horrid, J> and that after it was shampooed 
 she could never do anything with it; she 
 calmly took it down and combed it, a fine 
 silken cascade of brown. It was quite beau- 
 tiful enough to warrant the exhibition, which 
 she ended by plaiting it into two magnificent 
 braids falling below her waist. Finally, she 
 got up and gave me her coat to hold for her 
 while she put it on, a process which she de- 
 layed unnecessarily, snuggling slowly into 
 the sleeves and looking coyly up at me over 
 her shoulder. Then she seized my hand, and, 
 before I knew it, had started to run me down 
 the hill. She stumbled and fell on purpose, 
 I'm confident and I picked her up. How 
 such contacts and familiarities affected me, 
 considering my growing fondness for Miss 
 Fielding, I leave you to imagine. 
 
 We walked down the path as gleefully as 
 children playing truant, and, arrived at the 
 stable, she proposed that we go in to ex- 
 amine my machine, which she was anxious 
 to try. The dogs had been shut up in the 
 harness-room, and as soon as we approached, 
 202 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 they set up a discordant barking. Edna 
 scowled and went to the door to look in. 
 
 i l Stop that noise V she commanded irri- 
 tably. A new chorus assailed her. 
 
 She had openecj, the door only a crack, but, 
 as she spoke, Nokomis wriggled through, 
 forcing it open, and, crouching in front of 
 her, ears laid back, growled angrily. Quick 
 as a flash Edna took up a short whip that 
 stood in the corner and lashed at the bitch. 
 Nokomis was upon her in an instant, and, 
 before I could prevent, had seized her ankle 
 and nipped it severely. Edna screamed and 
 struck again, this time with the butt of the 
 whip, hitting Nokomis squarely on the fore- 
 head. 
 
 Yelping, Nokomis released her hold and 
 with her tail between her legs dashed out of 
 the stable door and disappeared. 
 
 Meanwhile, I had closed the door of the 
 harness-room and had run to Edna. Her 
 face was white, with sudden rage rather than 
 pain. Nokomis had given her only a nip 
 the skin was not cut. 
 
 203 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I'll have them all shot to-morrow, if I 
 have to do it myself !" she cried. 
 
 I did my best to calm her, and in a few 
 moments she had recovered her temper 
 enough to laugh at the episode, though her 
 spite against Nokomis remained. She for- 
 got it in my explanation of the motor, which 
 she examined with great intelligence. 
 
 Luncheon was ready when we reached the 
 house and we went into the dining-room. 
 Here it was dim and cool and we fell 
 naturally into a more placid humor. Edna 
 seemed less the impetuous, irresponsible child 
 she had been that forenoon, and I got my 
 first hint of what was characteristic of her 
 in this condition that, as the day wore on, 
 she seemed to grow steadily older and more 
 developed mentally. 
 
 Over her shoulder the tapestry paper 
 showed a picture of the combat between 
 James Fitz- James and Roderick Dhu; be- 
 hind her the door opened and shut from time 
 to time admitting King with his dainty 
 dishes. He came and went like a ghost, all 
 204 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 in white, while Leah, in a dark gown to-day, 
 hovered like a shadow in the kitchen. 
 
 Edna had an amusing and not unpleasant 
 sort of gaminerie at table. She was fond of 
 selecting the daintiest, littlest piece of celery 
 from the dish and tossing it over to my plate. 
 She did not hesitate to use her fingers in 
 cunning, unconventional ways, not as if she 
 knew no better, but as if she knew herself 
 to be pretty enough, and charming enough, 
 to invest the solecism with a personal in- 
 dulgent humor. So she dipped her bread in 
 the gravy audaciously, so she crushed her 
 strawberries with her fork to a red welter 
 of pulp, and added cream with a flourish. 
 She carried it off perfectly; it was quite a 
 distracting sight. 
 
 At two o'clock we got out my machine and 
 set out for the station to meet Doctor Copin, 
 she guiding the car according to my instruc- 
 tions. She was an apt pupil, and though the 
 first stretch of rough lane required consider- 
 able skill in handling the motor, we got out 
 to the highroad without accident, and put 
 205 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 on top speed. The excitement of it kindled 
 her spirits and a dangerous light shone in her 
 eyes. She was bareheaded and the wind 
 brought a fine glow to her cheeks. 
 
 "Isn't it great!" she exclaimed. "I'm 
 going to get a car the first thing I do." 
 
 Her touch was clever and firm on the wheel, 
 and she passed from one speed to another 
 and handled the spark like an expert, al- 
 ready. There was no time for much co- 
 quetry, now, but I got a glance now and then 
 on the straight level runs. She swung up to 
 the station with style, and my hand, though 
 ready to help her, was not needed. I con- 
 gratulated her upon her skill and she was 
 pleased as a child. 
 
 "Oh, I'm going to show the doctor!" she 
 cried. "You wait till he gets in and I'll give 
 him a run for his money ! ' ' 
 
 The train appeared in a few minutes, and 
 Doctor Copin, with his professional bag, got 
 out from the parlor-car. He seemed to be 
 much surprised at seeing me. I thought that 
 I detected something like annoyance, too, in 
 206 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 his expression. I wondered if she had not 
 informed him of my being at Midmeadows 
 when she had telephoned in the morning. He 
 greeted me cordially enough, however, in- 
 quired as to my condition, made a dull joke 
 about my ribs, and got into the back seat of 
 the car. I kept my place in front beside 
 Edna, coaching her as we went along. 
 
 I talked commonplaces to the doctor, who 
 replied laconically, and Edna, being absorbed 
 with her work, kept quiet, her lips closed 
 tightly, her eyes on the road ahead, waiting 
 for her chance to make speed. After we 
 had got a little outside the village there was 
 a sharp up-grade, and I saw her hand fly to 
 the speed lever. 
 
 "Be careful how you throw in that clutch," 
 I warned her. "Give it to her easy, now!" 
 
 Her thought was all for impressing the 
 doctor with her ability as a chauffeuse, how- 
 ever, and she was too impatient. She re- 
 leased the clutch and threw her lever back to 
 second speed. By the time she dropped her 
 clutch back in again, however, the car had 
 207 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 lost momentum, stopped and begun to roll 
 down-hill, the engine still going furiously. 
 The gears meshed, but something had to give 
 under the strain, and with a snap the chain 
 parted. The freed motor shook the car with 
 its velocity. I grabbed the throttle from her, 
 stopped the engine, set the brake, and the car 
 came to a standstill. 
 
 "Oh!" she wailed, "I've broken some- 
 thing, haven't I?" 
 
 "I'm afraid you have," I answered, laugh- 
 ing. "But I'll see what can be done." 
 
 I crawled underneath the car, taking the 
 attitude that has now become classic, and saw 
 that it would be a case of fastening in a new 
 link. I backed out, looked in my tool-box 
 and found that there were no extra links 
 there. 
 
 "I can't mend the thing here," I explained. 
 "You and the doctor will have to get out and 
 walk and leave me here. You'd better send 
 some one back with a horse to tow me home. ' ' 
 
 v 
 
 She almost cried with shame and regret, 
 but there was nothing for it but to do as I 
 
 208 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 had suggested. I noticed a faint smile on the 
 doctor's thin face. He was undoubtedly glad 
 of the dilemma, as it would temporarily rid 
 him of my company. 
 
 "It's too bad I can't sew it up for you," 
 he said dryly. "I'm afraid it will require 
 a capital operation, Castle. You'd better 
 have a consultation with Uncle Jerdon. But 
 if you need any anesthetic to keep it out of 
 pain while you're waiting, I'll lend you my 
 bag." 
 
 "Oh, my machine is used to it, you know," 
 I replied. "If you'll only send back the 
 coroner it'll be all right." 
 
 "Well, we'll hope for a change soon," he 
 said. I verily believe the man meant it for 
 a pun, for he closed one eye as he got it off. 
 Edna giggled. 
 
 So they set out and left me. I took a seat, 
 lighted a cigar, and waited as patiently as I 
 could, not at all pleased at the thought of his 
 having a free hour or two with her. At last 
 Uncle Jerdon appeared on the scene, driving 
 a span of horses. 
 
 209 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Hello," he greeted me. ''The same old, 
 sweet song, eh? Well, we all have to come to 
 it, sooner or later. You ought to lead a hoss 
 behind when you go. I'd as soon trust to an 
 airship." 
 
 He harnessed his team to the car, and we 
 proceeded slowly home. It was a humiliat- 
 ing experience, as it always is, but Uncle 
 Jerdon was plainly hugely amused at my pre- 
 dicament. 
 
 "I guess the doctor wan't sorry ye had to 
 stop here alone," he remarked. "He's a- 
 makin' the most of his time, naow, I expect. 
 Nothin' like a little friendly rivalry for a 
 bashful man." 
 
 "How long have you been back?" I asked, 
 not caring for his personalities. 
 
 "Oh, I jest happened to meet 'em in the 
 north lane as I come. I guess they wan't ex- 
 pectin' to see nobody there, by the way it 
 looked. Miss Fielding ain't so crazy but 
 what she knows what she's aba out sometimes, 
 I tell ye!" At which he went off into an 
 ebullition of silent laughter. This was dis- 
 210 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 quieting enough information, for I could 
 guess what he had seen, though I couldn't 
 afford to encourage him. So I changed the 
 subject. 
 
 "How long have you been down here with 
 Miss Fielding!" 
 
 "Goin' on two year," he answered. 
 
 "I suppose the neighbors talk about her a 
 good deal!" 
 
 "I reckon they do! But they don't get 
 nothin' outen me. I sit an' look wise an' 
 chew a straw an' let 'em talk. Lord, how 
 they do try to pump me !" 
 
 "Doesn't she ever see any of them?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, sometimes, when she's 0. K., but 
 she don't encourage 'em callin' much. They 
 think she's so high and mighty, though, that 
 they don't bother her to any great extent." 
 
 He proceeded now of his own accord. 
 
 "She's happy enough alone, I take it. 
 Lord! I don't mind her at all. I attend to 
 my business and she to hern. It ain't as if 
 I was a woman an' curious, ye know. But 
 when she abuses dumb critters, then I do get 
 211 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 mad. I jes' see oP Nokomis in the hazels, 
 as I come past. She had her tail atween her 
 laigs, an' I'm afraid that means trouble. I 
 usually see to it that the dogs is got outen 
 the way when she 's looney, but I expect Leah 
 must have forgot to attend to 'em. Funny 
 King didn't, either. But it will happen on 
 occasion. Some day they's goin' to be 
 trouble. OP Nokomis knows more'n most 
 folks herself. I believe King's crazy, too. 
 He's got a heathen idol in his cabin he's all 
 the time worshipin'. Burns punk-sticks an' 
 a little peanut-oil lamp in front of it, night 
 an' day. But I get my own quiet fun outen 
 it all. I 'm satisfied. ' ' 
 
 We got the car safely home, and I spent 
 the rest of the afternoon, with Uncle Jer- 
 don's assistance, in mending the chain and 
 doing other necessary cleaning and repairs. 
 Miss Fielding and Doctor Copin stayed shut 
 in the library. When I had gone up to my 
 room to clean myself, Leah, came in, bearing 
 fresh towels. 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Castle, can't you go in and join 
 212 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 them 1 ' ' she said. i 1 1 hate to have them alone 
 for so long you don't know how I dread it !" 
 
 "What are you afraid of?" I asked. 
 
 "I don't know! I don't know! Only I 
 don't trust him." 
 
 "Have you seen anything more!" 
 
 ' ' Enough to make me worried. ' ' Then she 
 brought out painfully, "Mr. Castle, do you 
 think we would have any right to to lis- 
 ten?" 
 
 "You mean really to eavesdrop?" 
 
 "Yes." There was a look of pain in her 
 eyes. I saw by this confession how far she 
 had gone with her fears. 
 
 "I hardly think so, yet," I answered. "It 
 would be pretty hard for us to do, wouldn't 
 it?" 
 
 "But you remember that Miss Joy said, 
 last night, that she would leave it all to your 
 judgment. Oughtn't we, to protect her, per- 
 haps, find out just what it is he's doing?" 
 
 I thought it over at length. But it was a 
 resource that I couldn't help wanting to leave 
 till the last. After all, it wasn't as bad as 
 213 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 that, yet. Except in Edna's familiarities 
 with me, and Leah's vague fears, I had no 
 reason for fearing anything wrong. All de- 
 pended upon the doctor's motives in being 
 alone with her. He might, indeed, be mak- 
 ing love to her, but then, perhaps he was 
 truly in love; he might even want to marry 
 her. It was a maddening thought for me, 
 but, after all, it was, strictly, none of my 
 business. He had a right to try to woo her, 
 and it couldn't, at any rate, go far without 
 Joy herself becoming aware of it. She would 
 be the first to acknowledge that Edna had a 
 right to permit it. If, however, he were dis- 
 honest in his motive, if he were, for instance, 
 after her money, that was quite another mat- 
 ter, and it was obviously my place to inter- 
 fere. "We should have, at least, to see that 
 Edna could not get hold of any property. 
 
 Lastly, and this seemed, at that time, most 
 probable, he might only be carrying on a 
 series of experiments with an interesting pa- 
 tient for some technical end. True, Joy had 
 herself refused to permit him to treat her, 
 214 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 and this probably accounted for his devoting 
 himself to Edna ; but it was not, so far as I 
 could see, dangerous. My position, there- 
 fore, was a delicate one, and I made up my 
 mind to have another talk with Joy before 
 showing my hand in interference. 
 
 I went over all this with Leah and she lis- 
 tened attentively. She iterated that she 
 didn't trust Doctor Copin, and that she feared 
 there was danger at hand. I could see that 
 the hint that he might want to marry Edna 
 frightened her most of all. 
 
 "How can I tell Miss Joy?" she said. 
 "How can I hint that Edna is too free with 
 him and all the rest that I suspect? Why, 
 Mr. Castle, if she knew that, it would kill her ! 
 But oughtn't I tell her? Is it fair for her 
 not to know? It's the most awful situation! 
 I can't bear to think of it! We must save 
 her from herself, though, as well as from the 
 knowledge of herself do you see?" 
 
 She was sensitively alive to the intricate 
 phases of honor that were entangled in the 
 situation, and, showing such fineness and deli- 
 215 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 cacy, I could quite ignore the fact that she 
 was a negress. But that was merely the neg- 
 ative aspect of my admiration for her. From 
 this time on, the more I was thrown with her 
 in the intimate way required by our coopera- 
 tion, the more I began actually to find in her 
 a positive beauty, a beauty that was truly of 
 her race and type a beauty that foreshad- 
 owed what, were environment to permit its 
 development, her race might in time attain, 
 when, even though the skin were still dark, 
 the features, insensibly modified by mental 
 processes, would lose something of the ex- 
 travagance of modeling now so repellent to 
 whites. 
 
 Such vision came in moments like this, 
 when her spirit was aroused and free. Usu- 
 ally, and always when suffering patiently the 
 contempt or anger of Edna, I saw her only as 
 the personification of loyalty, the loyalty of 
 the hound who licks the hand that smites him. 
 It was then as if her woman's soul were 
 crushed back farther into the figure of the 
 servant. But always those two qualities 
 216 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 were finely blended in her she was slave and 
 friend, not alternately but at once. One 
 dwelt with the other in perfect peace. No 
 hunchback ever carried his deformity with a 
 nobler grace than she the trial of her color. 
 
 Miss Fielding and the doctor remained 
 closeted together till dinner-time, when we 
 three met at table. She was slightly flushed 
 and her eyes were keen and bright. It was as 
 if she somehow saw more as if she had 
 passed from that curious, mentally apathetic 
 state which I have called childlike, and were 
 inspecting a new world. But this analysis, 
 no doubt, comes from what I learned later 
 rather than from my observation at that 
 time. Perhaps all that impressed me then 
 was that she had, in some way, changed. I 
 could find no way in which to account for the 
 precise degree of difference that I noticed. 
 She was alternately gay and abstracted, at 
 which latter times she fell unconsciously into 
 poses so like those of her normal self Joy's 
 self that it gave me, often, a start of sur- 
 prise. 
 
 217 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 But, as if to cover all this, the doctor was 
 more than usually jocose in a mechanical 
 way so devoid of real humor that it irritated 
 me. Try as I might, I could not get him to 
 talk seriously. At every remark or question 
 of mine, he threw me off with some non- 
 sensical comment. It was the more madden- 
 ing because of Edna's inevitable laughter, 
 and it was evident that she thought him a 
 most amusing companion, though to me he 
 seemed wholly without atmosphere or radia- 
 tion; everything appeared calculated, de- 
 liberate. I saw that there could be nothing 
 between us, unless, indeed, it should come 
 to open conflict. He was the sort of man 
 who could, I was well aware, arouse all my 
 antagonism. It was easy enough to see that 
 I was already jealous. 
 
 We talked on thus through the meal and 
 then adjourned to the library for our coffee. 
 As we entered I cast a quick look about to 
 see if I could catch any revealing sign. I saw 
 nothing except that the morris chair was 
 drawn up to another, so that the two faced 
 218 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 each other, almost near enough to touch. 
 There were a few sheets of ruled yellow pa- 
 per on the table. These the doctor took up 
 as he went in, and placed in his pocket. 
 
 The talk languishing after a while, we spent 
 the evening at cards, and what with the doc- 
 tor's sallies and Edna's obvious replies, I 
 think I was never more bored in my life. 
 The only amusing thing about it was the way 
 she played us off, one against the other, twit- 
 ting the doctor with his remissness when he 
 was not so complimentary as I was to her, 
 and accusing me of a lack of humor when I 
 did not join in their badinage. She distrib- 
 uted her favors impartially, upon the whole, 
 though I caught several indications of some 
 secret understanding between them, which 
 was not surprising, considering the length of 
 their acquaintance. He seemed to enjoy the 
 evening as little as I, and to be a trifle em- 
 barrassed, even somewhat anxious. This was 
 evident in the way he watched her covertly, 
 and in the way he headed off all my ques- 
 tions, as if always on the defense. From a 
 219 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 look she gave him, once or twice, I got the 
 idea, also, that his foot was busy, under the 
 table, and that he was using that method of 
 signaling when the conversation got danger- 
 ously near whatever it was that he wished to 
 avoid. This interested me considerably for 
 the reason that her other foot was touching 
 mine in a way that assured me of her con- 
 scious intention. The situation was as 
 unpleasant as it was extraordinary. I lost 
 myself, at times, in the inconsistency of it 
 the strangeness of her actions so unattuned 
 to the exquisite body which was wont to house 
 such delicacies of soul. She had indubitably 
 changed from those first whimsical madcap 
 moods of the morning. Somehow her per- 
 sonality had deepened; it had grown in 
 strength and color; it was more assertive. 
 She was no longer carelessly, thoughtlessly 
 frank and forward, she had some definite 
 motive. 
 
 Her coquetry and raillery lasted, thus, till 
 ten o'clock, when she excused herself and 
 went up to her room. The doctor and I re- 
 220 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 mained in the library. I determined to cross 
 swords with him. 
 
 "I'd like to know what you make of Miss 
 Fielding's case," I began. "Anything, that 
 is, that you can tell me with propriety. I 
 confess I 'm much interested in it. ' ' 
 
 He got up, long and thin, put his hands 
 behind him under his coat-tails, and stood 
 backing the fireplace. 
 
 "Oh, I know what you're interested in!" 
 he said with his grin. 
 
 "Do you think there's any chance of her 
 recovering?" I said, ignoring his sarcasm. 
 
 "What's she lost?" he asked. 
 
 "Why, herself, hasn't she? To-day, at 
 least." 
 
 "Oh, she'll find that to-morrow, I expect!" 
 He balanced himself on his toes and smoked 
 complacently. 
 
 I might as well stop there, I knew, but at 
 the risk of being impertinent I was bound to 
 see what I could get out of him. 
 
 ' i Have you found any law governing these 
 alternations?" 
 
 221 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Why, yes; I have good reason to believe 
 they come in turn first one and then the 
 other/' 
 
 I got up. I fancy he came as near to re- 
 ceiving a blow on the point of the chin that 
 moment, as he ever did in his life. But I 
 held myself in check. 
 
 "Of course, if you think that it's none of 
 my business, I'll ask you no more questions," 
 I said angrily. 
 
 "Oh, no! Oh, no!" He shook his head 
 with a deprecatory wave. "Only sometimes 
 it's easier to ask questions than to answer 
 them. This is a common enough case, as you 
 know, if you know anything about psychology. 
 A mild form of mania ; that's all. " 
 
 "Do you mean to say that you consider it 
 merely insanity?" I demanded. 
 
 "Oh, we're all insane, more or less," he 
 pursued in his maddening, non-committal 
 way. "Insanity is a relative term, you 
 know. 'All the world is queer but thee and 
 me, and even thee's a little queer,' as the old 
 Quaker said." 
 
 222 
 
'I'd like to know what you make of Miss Fielding's case." Page 221 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 
 
 I did my best to keep my temper. "It's 
 very unfortunate, at all events." 
 
 "Oh, I don't know. We can't have too 
 many of such fine women as Miss Fielding, 
 can we? I'm sure I'd like to know a half- 
 dozen of them !" 
 
 "You must confess it's hard on her." 
 
 "Oh, it gives her something interesting to 
 think about. All alone here, you know." 
 He waved his long arm comprehensively over 
 the scene. 
 
 "But aren't you trying to do anything for 
 her? She surely wants to get over it." I 
 was determined to push him into some defi- 
 nite statement. But it was no use. 
 
 "Oh, she'll come out all right," he replied, 
 yawning behind his palm. 
 
 ' i She 's too fine a woman, as you say ; she 
 has too fine a character, too fine a mind " 
 I began in protest. 
 
 "My dear Mr. Castle, women are always 
 changing their minds." His shoulders shook 
 as he laughed silently at his own joke. 
 
 "You'll change yours, before I've finished 
 223 - 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 with you," I said to myself. But there was 
 no use continuing the dialogue, and, bidding 
 him good night, I went up to bed. Leah had 
 given her own room up to him and she spent 
 the night in Miss Fielding's study. I heard 
 him come stumbling up at midnight. 
 
 224 
 
IV 
 
 It was with a feeling of great relief that, 
 next morning, I heard the dogs barking jubi- 
 lantly in the yard, answering, each in turn, 
 to their names. Nokomis, I knew by her 
 heavy note, had returned to the house. Joy 
 was, then, herself. 
 
 This was better than I had dared to hope. 
 My suspicions in regard to the doctor were 
 now strengthened and I felt intuitively that, 
 in some way, his presence at Midmeadows ac- 
 counted for the increasing frequency of 
 Edna's visitations. 
 
 The last three days had shown regular al- 
 ternations of personality, but I recalled the 
 fact that on both Monday and Tuesday it had 
 been Edna who had possessed Miss Field- 
 ing's body. With this thought came also the 
 recollection of Joy's unusual actions in tele- 
 phoning to the doctor." 
 225 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 The two facts seemed to indicate a signifi- 
 cant relation a relation, perhaps, of cause 
 and effect. A third hint came that such 
 anomalous states of personality were some- 
 times developed during hypnosis and the 
 three separate thoughts snapped together, 
 crystallizing into an idea. Had not Doctor 
 Copin hypnotized Edna, and given her the 
 post-hypnotic suggestion that she, in Joy's 
 person, should telephone to him in the morn- 
 ing? It seemed probable, for I could not 
 doubt, now, that it was to the doctor's interest 
 to keep Miss Fielding as long and as often 
 as possible in her secondary state, as Edna. 
 As Edna she was impressible and easily man- 
 aged to his ends. Edna invited him and wel- 
 comed him to Midmeadows, while Joy was 
 cold and reserved. Everything that had hap- 
 pened dovetailed into my hypothesis his an- 
 noyance at my presence, as the especial 
 friend of Joy, and his own particular culti- 
 vation of Edna the proof, in fact, seemed 
 conclusive. What, then, was he trying to 
 do? 
 
 226 
 
THE WHITE GAT 
 
 I went down early and found him, lean and 
 lank in his suit of muddy brown, wandering 
 about outside, his long hands clasped behind 
 his back. He greeted me civilly enough, but 
 without warmth. I did not disturb him in his 
 mood, and he meandered up and down, turn- 
 ing over a stone with his foot now and then, 
 stooping to pluck a flower and sniff it 
 thoughtfully, humming a tune to himself as 
 he strolled. 
 
 Leah came to the doorway, gave me a 
 happy look, nodded meaningly, and passed up 
 stairs with Miss Fielding 's tray. I went 
 back to the stable to see the collies. Nokornis 
 bounded up to me and nuzzled my hand. Her 
 forehead showed a scar where the whip 
 handle had struck her, and I talked to her 
 about it condolently, in canine gutturals. We 
 seemed to understand each other perfectly. 
 
 At half-past eight Leah called me in to 
 breakfast. I found Doctor Copin already at 
 table. 
 
 "Going up to town to-day, Castle?" he 
 asked, tucking his sei-viette into his collar. 
 227 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "No, I hadn't thought of it," I said, sit- 
 ting down. 
 
 "H'm!" he ejaculated thoughtfully. "I 
 didn't know but we might be taking the same 
 train." 
 
 ' 'Oh, I think I'll try my machine when I 
 leave," I said. 
 
 He grinned. "Haven't you had enough 
 ground-and-lofty tumbling yet!" 
 
 "Oh, I'm game. It's such fools as I that 
 keep you fellows busy ; you ought to encour- 
 age us." 
 
 He smiled dryly. "How long do you ex- 
 pect to be down here?" 
 
 The boot was on the other foot, now, and I 
 was amused at his interrogation. 
 
 "I have some business to talk over with 
 Miss Fielding," I said. "It depends largely 
 upon her how long I remain. ' ' 
 
 "H'm!" He went on with his breakfast. 
 
 When Miss Fielding came into the room 
 
 my first glance would have told me that it 
 
 was Joy herself, even if I had not been given 
 
 the hint already. As Edna, one would have 
 
 228 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 called her pretty as Joy she was beautiful. 
 The lines of thought and care had returned to 
 her face, but they did but emphasize the rich- 
 ness and meaning of her character, replacing 
 abandon with subtlety. I watched the doc- 
 tor's eyes leap at her, and then fall, disap- 
 pointed. He, too, knew in a glance. He 
 seemed to be surprised as well as disap- 
 pointed. Leah had evidently not told him, 
 and he had not dared ask. He shrugged his 
 shoulders almost imperceptibly as we both 
 rose to meet her. 
 
 "Good morning, doctor!" she said, giving 
 him her hand, smiling. "I've just done a 
 funny thing! Leah told me that you were 
 here, of course, when I waked up, but I for- 
 got it so completely that I've been trying to 
 ring you up on the telephone. ' ' 
 
 I saw his pale blue eyes grow narrower 
 as he laughed with her. He was pleased. 
 "Well, did you get me?" he said. 
 
 "Are there two of you, too?" she returned, 
 and the thing passed off in a general smile. 
 
 I took it that she had already heard from 
 229 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Leah of what had happened yesterday and 
 I could not help admiring her calmness and 
 self-restraint. The last thing, of course, that 
 she could remember would be her anguish of 
 two days when we were all so agitated over 
 Leah's absence and dramatic return, and that 
 weary vigil in the library trying to keep 
 awake. Joy was used to these lapses ; she had 
 been so long schooled by her changes that 
 she was usually poised outwardly and calm, 
 ready for any emergency, on her guard 
 against betraying surprise; but I could not 
 help picturing to myself the nervous excite- 
 ment of her awakening when her memory 
 first rushed back and she had to learn hur- 
 riedly the history of the day before. How 
 much, I wondered, had Leah told her? 
 
 Her attitude toward Doctor Copin, while 
 quite that of an old friend, was so different 
 from what it had been the night before that 
 he must have felt somewhat uncomfortable 
 at my seeing it. Of any such difference Joy 
 was herself quite unconscious, but the inter- 
 est she plainly showed in me served to 
 230 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 heighten it. She was still full of gratitude 
 toward me for what I had done in bringing 
 Leah back the doctor, on the other hand, 
 was only making one of his periodical calls ; 
 she was anticipating, also, his urging again 
 his request to give her a definite course of 
 treatment, a thing she had steadily opposed. 
 He caine, as I understood it, only to keep 
 track of her disorder in a general way, and 
 to advise her with regard to it; and it was, 
 so far, more because she had not enough con- 
 fidence in his proficiency in this special sub- 
 ject, rather than any innate distrust of his 
 character, that had impelled her to refuse a 
 course of hypnotic treatment. 
 
 His elaborate wit failed to receive much 
 encouragement from Joy. The conversation 
 was, therefore, a little stiff for some time, 
 and resulted finally in a dialogue between 
 Joy and me, the doctor maintaining a silence 
 almost surly. 
 
 After breakfast, however, she took him 
 into the library for a short colloquy before 
 it was time for him to leave. I waited out- 
 231 
 
THE WHITE OAT 
 
 doors. They came out in a few minutes, she, 
 I saw, a little disturbed, a frown on her face. 
 Uncle Jerdon drove up in the carriage and 
 the doctor got in, bade us a conventional fare- 
 well, and was carried off. 
 
 We sat there for a while without talk, Joy 
 gazing straight ahead of her, absorbed in her 
 own thoughts. Then she turned to me and 
 said : 
 
 "Edna is coming oftener than she used to. 
 I don't like it!" 
 
 "Did you speak of it to the doctor?" 
 
 "Yes. He tried to reassure me. But I'm 
 still uneasy. It was bad enough before, to 
 lose two days a week, but if I'm to be robbed 
 of half my time, it will be unbearable." 
 
 "Did you ask him if he thought he could 
 prevent it, in any way?" 
 
 "Yes, and he asked me again to let him 
 hypnotize me." 
 
 "Oh, I hope you refused !" 
 
 "Why?" she demanded, turning quickly to 
 me. "I've refused only because I didn't 
 consider him able enough I was afraid to 
 232 
 
THE WHITE GAT 
 
 experiment, to put myself into his power, 
 alone as I am here, and without friends. I 
 wasn't quite sure enough of him. Have you 
 any other reason why I shouldn't? He said 
 that he could inhibit Edna's appearance, if 
 I let him hypnotize me. He said she ought 
 to he sent back to where she came from, and 
 that he wanted to 'wake me up,' as he ex- 
 pressed it make me normal again." 
 
 ' 1 Then he lied!" I remarked decidedly. 
 
 "Oh, Chester, you don't know how you 
 frighten me ! If I can 't depend upon Doctor 
 Copin, a physician, where can I look for help, 
 and for protection against her? You have 
 done much for me, but you're only a layman, 
 after all; what I need is professional ad- 
 vice." 
 
 "Yes, of course," I said. "It is imperti- 
 nent of me it's positive audacity, to think I 
 can help you, but, don't you see, the doctor, 
 if he isn't to be trusted, is the more danger- 
 ous because of his knowledge? He can do 
 you positive harm." 
 
 "Why do you distrust him?" she insisted. 
 233 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I must have specific reason before I dare 
 even to disregard his orders. ' ' 
 
 "Very well, then," I said. "But I may 
 seem more than impertinent even inquisi- 
 tive.'' 
 
 She made a fine, impatient gesture. "Oh, 
 we've got beyond such considerations tell 
 me!" 
 
 I turned to the door and called Leah, who 
 came out immediately. 
 
 "Leah," I said, "do you know how much 
 money Miss Fielding had in the house yester- 
 day?" 
 
 "Forty dollars, exactly." 
 
 "Will you please find out how much of thai 
 is left, now?" 
 
 She ran up-stairs, while we waited. She 
 returned in a few minutes with Joy's purse. 
 
 "There's only fifteen dollars here," she 
 said, showing the money. 
 
 "And it wasn't spent for anything you 
 know of?" 
 
 "There's no possible way of spending it," 
 she answered. 
 
 234 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Then there's twenty-five dollars to ac- 
 count for. Doctor Copin undoubtedly has it. 
 Are you in the habit of paying him cash, 
 Joy?" 
 
 "Oh, no. Always by check, and, of 
 course, / settle all his bills; that's understood 
 between us. Edna can't draw any checks, 
 anyway, for her handwriting is quite differ- 
 ent from mine. What could she have given 
 him the money for? Perhaps she didn't 
 how can we tell? Perhaps she hid it some- 
 where. ' ' 
 
 Leah interposed. "Oh, no, Miss Joy, the 
 purse was in your room all the time, I'm 
 sure." 
 
 "It may have been justified it's barely 
 possible," I said. "But yesterday Edna 
 told me that the doctor was always complain- 
 ing of being hard up. What else would he 
 harp on that for, if not to borrow from her? 
 Frankly, it's my opinion that he does. You 
 know how impressionable and impulsive she 
 is any one with tact can easily manage 
 her." 
 
 235 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Joy stared at me. "Oh, that implies, too, 
 considerable intimacy, doesn't it? Much 
 more than I have with him, at least." 
 
 "It certainly does," I replied. 
 
 She caught the inflection I put into the re- 
 mark. "Do you mean V 9 She stopped 
 suddenly. 
 
 "I mean that he is not above suspicion; 
 that we should .watch him." 
 
 "I'll never let him come down here again," 
 she cried. "I'll dismiss him!" 
 
 ' ' We must go slow, ' ' I said. ' ' We must be 
 surer, first; and, besides, you forget that 
 Edna likes him." 
 
 A look of pain came to her face. "She 
 likes him?" she repeated. 
 
 "He cajoles her. She flirts with him, per- 
 haps. At any rate, I doubt if she'll refuse 
 him admittance." 
 
 She rose and began to walk up and down 
 the gravel walk. "What shall we do? 
 What shall we do?" she exclaimed, extend- 
 ing her hands toward me. "Why, he is dan- 
 gerous ! Chester, I'm positively afraid, now. 
 236 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 It's too horrible. It's getting worse every 
 day!" 
 
 "Tell me," I said, "why have you been 
 telephoning to him every day or so, Joy? 
 You never used to, Leah says." 
 
 She looked blankly at me. "I don't know, 
 I'm sure. It's funny, but I never thought 
 much about any particular message. I sup- 
 pose I was simply a little lonely and it oc- 
 curred to me to ring him up, that's all." 
 That was enough for me, and I didn't ex- 
 plain the reason for my question. She had 
 no time to worry about it, at any rate, for 
 just then Leah, who had been listening si- 
 lently, put in : 
 
 "Miss Joy, do you know what became of 
 that little gold chain of yours with the sap- 
 phire pendant? Edna wore it yesterday, but 
 I can't find it anywhere." 
 
 "Maybe it's up in my room somewhere," 
 Joy answered, still walking up and down the 
 path. Then suddenly stopping she faced me. 
 
 "Oh! Do you suppose she could have 
 given that to the doctor, too?" she exclaimed 
 237 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I laughed. "No, she gave that to me to 
 keep for her," I said, and I drew it forth 
 from my vest pocket where it had remained 
 since the little scene behind the stable. 
 
 Joy's eyes had followed my hand and fixed 
 on the chain as I held it out. Her lips 
 opened with a swift intake of air as she gazed. 
 The two vertical lines appeared in her fore- 
 head. She put out a hand tentatively, but 
 did not touch the ornament. It was as if she 
 were in a trance. Then her lips moved auto- 
 matically. 
 
 "Keep it safe for me, please!' 9 she 
 whispered. Suddenly her hand went to her 
 forehead. "Oh, what was it?" she cried. 
 
 "Try to recall the rest!" I commanded, 
 watching her sharply. 
 
 She thought a moment, then shook her head 
 decidedly. "No, it's gone now," she said. 
 
 "You can get nothing more?" was my sug- 
 gestion. 
 
 "Nothing. It was like a dream, like some- 
 thing I had done and said before. What does 
 it mean do you know?" 
 238 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "It's precisely what you did say what 
 Edna said, that is yesterday." 
 
 For some time she was too bewildered to 
 speak, and stood staring at me through me. 
 "You mean that Edna said what I've just 
 said!" she asked. 
 
 6 ' Yes. ' ' I handed the chain to her. 
 
 She put it away with a sharp gesture. 
 "Oh, no! If she gave it to you, keep it! I 
 have no right " She turned away. 
 
 "But it was only to keep till we got home," 
 I explained. 
 
 She looked at me keenly and threw back 
 her shoulders proudly. "No, it wasn't. 
 She meant you to have it. ' ' 
 
 "You remember it, then?" 
 
 She smiled sadly, pityingly. "No. But 
 I'm a woman, and I know." 
 
 Walking away to a rose-bush, she plucked 
 a bud and returned slowly, as if to hide some 
 emotion. It was quite time to comfort her. 
 
 "Joy," I said, taking her hand and bring- 
 ing her to the steps again, "I have been do- 
 ing a good deal of thinking, and I have a 
 239 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 theory that I'd like to prove. I'd rather not 
 say anything about it till I'm sure of it, but 
 when I am, I'll tell you. Have I your per- 
 mission to use my own judgment, even to the 
 point, perhaps, of eavesdropping?" 
 
 "Oh, is that necessary, do you think!" 
 She clasped her hands nervously at the 
 thought. "I don't know. It's all so mixed 
 up in my mind. Who can settle the ethics of 
 a case like this?" 
 
 "It may come to a fight between you and 
 Edna, I think." 
 
 "Oh, that's what it has come to!" she ex- 
 claimed. "That's what is killing me. Who 
 is Edna? Where did she come from? Where 
 does she belong? I must be fair I want 
 to be just to her, however she treats me. 
 If I could only see her or hear her if we 
 could only communicate in some way, there 
 might be an agreement. But she's like a 
 ghost a character in a book. Is she a dif- 
 ferent person, or only some phase of myself? 
 Dare I come into open conflict with her? 
 Why, I may be only destroying myself! I 
 240 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 have to be she, don't I? Shan't I have to 
 bear whatever I do to her? How do I know 
 what danger may lie in any action I may 
 take!" 
 
 " Yes," I replied, "I've thought of all that. 
 I'm convinced that, as the doctor says, it's 
 only a case of 'waking you up.' It's as if 
 you were a somnambulist walking in your 
 sleep dreaming half the time, irresponsi- 
 bly. To wake you up may be uncomfortable 
 for her. It may be like a surgical operation 
 that she has to suffer, but when it's over 
 you '11 regain your health and reason, and, by 
 the same token, so will she, and you'll forget 
 all the pain. However, it hasn't come to 
 that yet. What I want, now, is the right to 
 explore, investigate, examine, experiment, 
 perhaps, and then, when I have decided for 
 myself, we can decide what course to adopt. 
 If you're the White Cat, I'm going to be the 
 Prince, and save you!" 
 
 She took my hand and pressed it affec- 
 tionately. 
 
 "I trust you, Chester, and I'll agree to 
 241 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 anything you think best. I feel as if I were 
 being drawn into a maelstrom. Oh, what 
 wouldn't I give to be just a normal, natural 
 person, like every one else! Why am I tor- 
 mented so? Yes, you must help me, 
 Prince!" 
 
 "Well, then, now we'll talk no more of it 
 for a while. Let's forget it, and go and see 
 the collies." 
 
 Her face cleared and she sprang up, tossed 
 back her head with her characteristic gesture 
 and went with me to the stable. The dogs 
 were all out in the sun, and as soon as we ap- 
 peared they surrounded us joyfully. Noko- 
 mis walked up to Joy in her stately way and 
 offered a paw. 
 
 "Why, Nokomis!" Joy exclaimed, "how 
 did you get this awful cut on your head 1 We 
 must attend to it immediately! Chester, 
 won't you go in and get me some water and 
 some salve ? Leah will give them to you. ' ' 
 
 When I came back she was sitting on the 
 ground with the dog's head on her lap. No- 
 komis' deep brown, soft eyes looked up 
 242 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 gratefully while the wound was washed and 
 dressed. The tears actually came to my eyes 
 at the sight. The scene of yesterday, when 
 these two were arrayed against each other, 
 seemed impossible. It should go without 
 saying that I made no mention of it to Joy, 
 for it was evident that she had no idea of 
 Edna's treatment of the collies. 
 
 6 1 Now, Nokomis, ' ' Joy said, getting up and 
 shaking the dust off her skirt, "listen! I 
 want you to go in the house and get my golf- 
 jacket, and bring it to me." She spoke very 
 distinctly, accenting the important words. 
 Nokomis trotted to the kitchen door, barked 
 sharply, and was admitted. 
 
 "I'm educating her," Joy explained to me. 
 "I want to see how far I can get her to un- 
 derstand what I say. This is rather a test, 
 for there are at least three related ideas, the 
 house, the jacket and bringing it back. But 
 she 's extraordinary at picking up words ; she 
 has really quite a vocabulary. Of course, 
 you hear a good many stories of the intelli- 
 gence of collies, but I Ve never heard of their 
 243 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 being systematically trained except in a utili- 
 tarian way. I'm experimenting with more 
 and more complex ideas. I hate the ordinary 
 dog tricks; they're undignified and unworthy. 
 I'm tremendously interested in animal psy- 
 chology. Queer, isn't it, when I can't even 
 handle my own!" 
 
 Nokomis appeared, in a distressed frame 
 of mind, and whined. 
 
 "Well, Noko, what's the matter? Can't 
 you find it?" 
 
 Nokomis barked, ran a few steps towards 
 the house, and returned. 
 
 "All right, we'll go in and see what's the 
 matter." 
 
 So we followed her into the house. The 
 red golf-coat that Edna had worn yesterday 
 was hanging upon a hat-stand in the hall. 
 Nokomis went to it, shook it with her teeth, 
 turned round and whined. It was as near 
 talking as a dog could do. 
 
 6 1 Oh, I see, ' ' said Joy. ' ' You got the house 
 and the coat all right, but you thought I 
 meant just to come back, did you? No, bring, 
 244 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Nokomis, bring, bring, bring!" As she 
 spoke, she placed the jacket in Nokomis' 
 teeth and showed her what was meant. 
 "Next time you'll know, won't you?" she 
 said. 
 
 "Now we'll try your number lesson," Joy 
 said as we went back to the stable. She and 
 I sat down on a watering-trough, while Noko- 
 mis waited, her head tipped, her ears straight 
 up, with the soft silky tips drooping like tas- 
 sels. Her sloping eyes were quick and 
 canny. 
 
 "One! "said Joy. 
 
 A single bark from Nokomis. 
 
 "Two!" 
 
 Correct, again. 
 
 "Three!" 
 
 Still correct. 
 
 "Four!" 
 
 Nokomis was perfect. 
 
 "Five!" 
 
 Four barks, then, after a pause, another. 
 
 "Six!" 
 
 This was too much for the collie. She 
 245 
 
THE WHITE CAT; 
 
 barked, I think, eight times, having quite lost 
 her head. 
 
 " Pretty good, isn't it?" said Joy, as I con- 
 gratulated Nokomis on the neck, at the spot 
 dogs love. "This is straight culture, you 
 know, no trick. I don't give her any sign, as 
 they do stage dogs. I'm just trying to see 
 how far she can go. I've begun, too, to teach 
 her colors, but I haven't succeeded very 
 well." 
 
 "It's immensely interesting," I said. "I 
 wonder why collies are so much more intel- 
 ligent than other dogs. ' ' 
 
 "They aren't. Caniches are fully as 
 bright, but collies have been trained for gen- 
 erations with the sheep, and it has raised the 
 level of perception. That 's why I try to keep 
 up their education, for of course they'll de- 
 teriorate if they're only bred for exhibition 
 purposes. But the training of the shepherds 
 isn't everything. My theory is that the rea- 
 son why a collie is quicker is because his 
 eyes are trained. Most dogs, you know, 
 won't use their eyes if they can use their 
 246 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 noses or their ears. Hunting dogs will run 
 past quarry that's in plain sight, following 
 a scent without looking. A collie has to 
 watch his sheep sharply, and his eye is de- 
 veloped. Their ears have been trained, too, 
 by the shepherds. ' ' 
 
 "How long would Nokomis keep this up, 
 obeying your orders f ' ' 
 
 Nokomis, who had been resting inatten- 
 tively, looked up immediately. 
 
 "As long as I asked her to wouldn't you, 
 old girl?" Joy rubbed the dog's neck with 
 her toe. "A dog's chief joy is to be in some 
 way, in as many ways as possible, a part of 
 his master. I never knew Nokomis to tire 
 of doing anything that kept up and accented 
 that relation. It is the mainspring of a good 
 dog's life it accounts for a dog's devotion. 
 It's trite enough to say, but there is no love 
 on earth so sure as a dog's love. It's un- 
 ending! it's unchangeable!" 
 
 Did Nokomis know, as she watched her 
 mistress there, of that strange soul that stole 
 into the girl's form at night? Did she an- 
 247 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 swer for herself instinctively, with an ani- 
 maPs secret prescience, the question that Joy 
 had asked in anguish "Who is Edna?" 
 The thought came into my mind as I heard 
 Joy's words, pathetic in their unconscious- 
 ness of how the love of Nokomis waxed and 
 waned with her own obsession. Surely Noko- 
 mis was loyal and true. Surely she had 
 never betrayed her mistress' confidence. 
 Perhaps the collie alone knew the secret of 
 the White Cat. 
 
 We took Nokomis with us, and walked over 
 the hill as we had walked the day before. 
 "We," I say, for, had any spectator been on 
 the hillside to watch us pass on both days he 
 could have seen no difference in the couple. 
 With me was the same gracile creature 
 abounding with life and beauty, the same 
 small, brown-haired, brown-eyed woman with 
 the flower-like hands. 
 
 But I need not say how different she was 
 
 in talk, in gesture, in her mental attitude 
 
 toward me. Yet, though I have shown Joy 
 
 as intense, even as melancholy, this was not 
 
 248 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 her natural quality. She could be as gay 
 and debonair as Edna, but it was vivacity 
 of a different key. Her laugh was as light 
 and ringing, but it was provoked by other 
 occasions. Her sallies were as joyous, but 
 they sparkled with wit and comprehension. 
 She was as frank, but she was keen as well. 
 So it was not. so much the sunny-dewy as 
 against the qqiet-shadowy, as it was April 
 rivaled by 'June. 
 
 After luncheon with Leah, we went up to 
 Joy's private sitting-room, or study, as she 
 called it and it was really that, as I saw 
 by the books which lined its walls. She had 
 indeed time enough to read them! It was 
 a woman's room, but it was expressive of 
 virility as well as taste. Like most of the 
 other rooms, except the sleeping chambers 
 and the dining-room, it was paneled to the 
 ceiling Joy confessed that she disliked 
 plaster even when covered with paper. The 
 wood here was a beautifully grained poplar 
 and the general air of lightness and cool- 
 ness was helped by the high, irregular, ceiled 
 249 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 roof whose beams and ties stretched across 
 from wall to wall. The ship-like bay-window 
 which I had noticed from the outside was a 
 nest of cushions of all colors of the rainbow 
 I speak literally varying from violet, 
 through blue, green, yellow and orange to red 
 and purple again. There was a great table 
 here where I saw a large microscope and case 
 of slides. An upright piano stood in a corner. 
 I noticed also a typewriter, and a camera on a 
 tripod. The place had an air of work and 
 study quite different from Edna's clutter 
 and disorder. It showed me in a glance how 
 it had been possible for her to live alone, 
 so far away from civilization. 
 
 Here we spent the afternoon discussing her 
 condition and prospects. She asked me much 
 about Edna, for, though she had always been 
 kept informed of Edna's actions by Leah, 
 and had attained by this time a pretty good 
 comprehension of her alternate's character, 
 she was much interested in my opinions and 
 conclusions, and I was able to cast new lights 
 upon this second self of hers which gave her 
 250 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 a new point of view. I could not yet bring 
 myself to speak of Edna's coquetries, for of 
 this she had no suspicion. There had been 
 few visitors to Midmeadows since she had 
 lived there, only the doctor and her lawyer, 
 I believe ; for she had, of late years, become 
 more and more retiring as Edna's appear- 
 ances had become more frequent. 
 
 Whatever indiscretions Edna had permit- 
 ted herself with the doctor had been well 
 concealed, as they were so much alone. I my- 
 self would never have suspected anything, 
 had she not been free enough with me to set 
 me on the watch. And all this sort of thing, 
 too, had evidently been only of recent growth 
 it was coincident with Edna's increasing 
 "strength." I don't think that either Leah 
 or I had, for an instant, any compunction on 
 Edna's account against informing Joy of 
 what might be going on. We were loyal to 
 Joy alone it seemed unquestionable that she 
 was the rightful sovereign self, and that the 
 other was an interloper our devotion did 
 not hesitate at any violation of confidence in- 
 251 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 cident to such a revelation. But we wanted 
 to spare Joy's feelings as long as possible. 
 For, under whatever spell, it was still Miss 
 Fielding whose actions we must criticize. Ir- 
 responsible as she was, she could hardly bear 
 to think of herself as appearing in such a 
 light, knowing what the picture must be in 
 our eyes, and her own. Indeed, it takes a 
 more than ordinary amount of philosophy to 
 know that one has shown a lack of taste or 
 delicacy even under the effects of an anes- 
 thetic or an intoxicant, without suffering 
 from mortification and shame. Her embar- 
 rassment would be quite as poignant as her 
 sensibility was exquisite. 
 
 Joy had kept a diagram of her changes, 
 and she got it out from her desk to show me. 
 The first appearance of No. 2 had occurred 
 when she was about fourteen years old; the 
 second a month or so later, and there had 
 been this usual interval until she was about 
 twenty-one. From that time on, the appear- 
 ance of No. 2 had increased in frequency, un- 
 til for the last few years it had settled into a 
 252 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 fairly regular average of two days in every 
 week. There had been in her early child- 
 hood, beginning when she was seven years 
 old, some curious abnormal tendencies that 
 had not been recorded ; it seemed, therefore, 
 that her development was progressing, 
 roughly, in seven-year cycles. 
 
 If that were so, the present daily alterna- 
 tion of personalities seemed to predict a 
 gradual overthrow of her normal self, the 
 original No. 1. The more I discussed it with 
 her, however, the surer I was that this sud- 
 den access of strength on the part of Edna 
 was chiefly attributable to the doctor's in- 
 fluence. I did not say so in so many words 
 to Joy, for I wanted first to prepare my plan, 
 but there was no doubt, in my mind, that 
 whatever was his object in overthrowing 
 Joy's control, and making Edna paramount, 
 my coming had somewhat interfered with his 
 experiments, and he had consequently in- 
 creased his energy in. a determination to suc- 
 ceed as soon as possible in his attempt at the 
 replacement. How terrible this slow eclipse 
 253 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 of her soul must be to Joy, I knew well 
 enough. 
 
 It is hardly to be wondered at, therefore, 
 that, thrown into intimate contact with so 
 beautiful and so rare a character, I should 
 bend all my will and powers toward helping 
 her in her misfortune. I had decided al- 
 ready to make any sacrifice, and devote all 
 my time to the task. Nor is it to be won- 
 dered at, I think, that, so devoting myself to 
 her cause and being so privileged to study 
 her closely, I should, by this time, have fallen 
 deeply in love with her. Her very despera- 
 tion, her hopeless, futile struggle against 
 something outside any ordinary human ex- 
 perience drew me to her with an ever- 
 increasing fondness. Her reliance on my aid 
 strengthened the bond day by day, hour by 
 hour. How much the doctor's interest in her 
 had given me the additional fillip of jealousy, 
 I would not care to say. 
 
 We came back to the incident of the gold 
 chain more than once. What did that phe- 
 nomenon mean? It was almost the first, and 
 254 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 certainly the strongest and clearest symp- 
 tom of a common share in Edna's life that 
 Joy had ever had. Was it, then, Joy's dim 
 vision of Edna's experience, or was it more 
 sinister and significant, an evidence of Edna 's 
 ability to project herself into Joy's waking 
 life ? Did Edna, perhaps, have a coexistent, 
 subconscious life! That it meant something, 
 that it marked some new phase in this last 
 cycle of development, we were both sure. 
 
 So we talked and talked that afternoon and 
 through dinner. In the evening, exhausted 
 with speculation, we gave it all up. Joy 
 played her violin for me for an hour or so, 
 and we lost all thought of the problem in our 
 common enjoyment of her music. Then we 
 started a game of chess, which, hard fought, 
 lasted till bed-time. 
 
 Before we retired, Joy went out to see the 
 dogs, and on returning she brought in No- 
 komis. 
 
 "I think I'll let her sleep in my room to- 
 night, Leah, she's got such a poor, sore 
 head," she remarked. 
 255 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Leah looked at me as if to ask my help or 
 advice. 
 
 "Aren't you afraid that Edna may ob- 
 ject in the morning, if she should be there?" 
 I asked. 
 
 Instantly her suspicions were aroused. 
 "Object to Nokomis! Dear old Nokomis, 
 how could she?" 
 
 Nokomis whined anxiously, stretched her 
 forelegs and waited. 
 
 I did not know what to say. Joy knew, of 
 course, that Edna was not particularly fond 
 of the collies, but she had no idea of the ex- 
 tent of her dislike. There was, I feared, 
 some danger if, after what had happened 
 yesterday, Edna and Nokomis found them- 
 selves together in the same room. Still, I 
 wished to spare Joy, as long as possible, 
 knowledge that would, I was sure, make her 
 extremely sad. As Leah had tacitly left it 
 for me to decide, I said : 
 
 "Leah, can't you call Nokomis out early 
 in the morning, before Miss Fielding awakes 
 
 in case " 
 
 256 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Yes, I think it will be all right,'' she re- 
 plied. 
 
 If Joy suspected anything definite in this 
 quick exchange of glances she did not in- 
 quire. She turned to bid me good night, and 
 went up-stairs, Nokomis with her. 
 
 257 
 
I was aroused in the night by a growling 
 in Miss Fielding's room. Wide awake in an 
 instant, I sat up in bed and listened intently, 
 but I had not had time to get up before I 
 heard a short, angry yelp, and then Noko- 
 mis' footsteps pattering out of the room and 
 going down-stairs in hasty jumps. I struck 
 a match and looked at my watch. It was a 
 quarter past two o'clock. I knew well 
 enough, then, that Edna would take Miss 
 Fielding's place in the morning. It was 
 much as if a ghost had entered the house and 
 lurked in the darkness. For a long time I 
 was too agitated to sleep. 
 
 The next day was cool and cloudy. I 
 found a fire burning in the library when I 
 went down-stairs and Leah was there, put- 
 ting the room to rights. She looked up at 
 258 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 me gratefully, as if it were a consolation to 
 her to have some one to depend upon. 
 
 Leah had, by this time, begun to treat me 
 quite as if I were her master. I had always 
 tried to meet her upon terms which would 
 prove that I had no prejudice on account of 
 her color, but that very attitude of mine 
 seemed to make her more willing to do me un- 
 looked-for service. I am told that this is not, 
 as a rule, true of negroes, and the Southern- 
 ers, who by sentiment and tradition hold 
 themselves as superior in virtue of their 
 birth, keep the respect of colored folk and re- 
 ceive a willing acceptation of subservience 
 that no Northerner, capable of no such race 
 feeling, can achieve. That Leah's gratitude 
 for my consideration did express itself in 
 such devotion proves, perhaps, only that she 
 was intrinsically finer that she was, as T 
 have already expressed it, ahead of her time. 
 There was much pathos in it, nevertheless, 
 for I was quite ready to regard her as a 
 social, as she was, undoubtedly, a moral 
 equal. 
 
 259 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Did you hear Nokomis?" she asked im- 
 mediately. 
 
 "I should say! Didn't it awaken Miss 
 Fielding?'' 
 
 "Oh, no, she sleeps heavily at these times. 
 But it awakened me wasn't it horrible! 
 It was Miss Edna coming in ! Think of it ! " 
 
 "How is she this morning?" 
 
 "Fretful and irritable to me, at least. 
 She asked for you, and she has been tele- 
 phoning to the doctor again. Oh, I wish you 
 might prevent that. What does she do it 
 for, Mr. Castle?" 
 
 "He is probably making her do it," I re- 
 plied. "You see, he has attained a sort of 
 power over her, I suspect. Just how much, 
 we must try to find out. Have you any idea 
 what she said?" 
 
 "No; she sent me out of the room. But I 
 think he'll probably be down to-day. How 
 I dread it! Why does he come here so of- 
 ten?" 
 
 "He's coming down, Leah, because he 
 realizes that we've begun to fight him. It 
 260 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 will be open war, this time, I expect. We 
 don't like each other, and I strongly suspect 
 that by to-night the cards will be shown 
 down. ' ' 
 
 "He's trying to get rid of me!" she said 
 hopelessly, going on with her dusting. 
 
 "Well, he'll have to beat me there, first," 
 I said. "So long as Edna doesn't have two 
 days running I think I can keep you here 
 safely. But we must be ready for the worst. 
 Is there any place near here where you could 
 stay, if necessary, for a day or so?" 
 
 She reminded me of the old cabin a little 
 way down the road, and thought it might be 
 fitted up well enough. She wouldn't be 
 afraid to stay there alone, and could probably 
 manage her meals somehow, through King, 
 who was always ready to help her. 
 
 "Have you a revolver?" I asked* 
 
 "Miss Joy has one, and I can easily get 
 it." 
 
 "It might be well to have it at hand," I 
 suggested. "I'd advise you to ask Uncle 
 Jerdon to clean up the cabin for you. And 
 261 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 be sure that the collies are fastened up, too, 
 won't you? Where's Nokomis now?" 
 
 "Nokomis came down-stairs and spent the 
 rest of the night in the kitchen. When King 
 opened the door, she went out. She'll not 
 come back, I think, till Miss Joy's herself 
 again." 
 
 "That will be to-morrow, I trust. But by 
 that time we must have something definite to 
 report to her. To-day, if possible, I am go- 
 ing to find out exactly what the doctor is up 
 to. I shall hold back for no scruples; I'll 
 listen, I'll lie and I'll cheat to find out his 
 game and how to outwit him ! ' ' 
 
 "I'll do anything you say, too, Mr. Castle. 
 I'm willing to take the same pledge." This 
 was, for her, the consummate sacrifice. She 
 would, I am sure, have given her honor, if 
 necessary, to save her mistress. 
 
 We were interrupted then, by Miss Field- 
 ing's appearance I dare not call her Edna, 
 lest one forgets that in almost every outward 
 aspect she was unchanged. Indeed, had her 
 body, instead of her mind, been metamor- 
 262 
 
THE WHITE CAT, 
 
 phosed, I think it would have been easier to 
 adjust one's self to the strangeness of it. 
 But Edna's words and Edna's actions con- 
 stantly gave the lie to Joy's voice and Joy's 
 face. One could not even treat her as in- 
 sane. It was definitely another person in 
 masquerade. My soul went out to her at the 
 sight, to return chilled at the revelation of 
 that strangeness. I was constantly being 
 tricked by my memory. When I had become 
 so interested in the conversation as not to no- 
 tice her appearance it was easy enough to feel 
 that I was talking to quite another than Joy, 
 but upon my first sight of her, or when, after 
 having looked away for a while my eyes re- 
 turned suddenly to her, the surprise of 
 Edna's words coming from Joy's lips gave 
 me a shock. But with all this I had begun 
 to accept Edna as a perversion, a distortion 
 of Joy's self, rather than as a separate in- 
 dividuality, and I was caring too much for 
 Joy, now, not to witness the working of the 
 spell without a constant, fiery protest in my 
 heart 
 
 263 
 
THE WHITE CAT, 
 
 After our first greetings Leah disappeared, 
 and we went into the dining-room. Edna sat 
 opposite me at the table as I breakfasted, her 
 elbows on the cloth, her chin on the backs of 
 her clasped hands, looking at me. 
 
 "Well," she began, "I've forgotten again, 
 Chet." 
 
 I wondered what was coming. She seemed 
 more absorbed, more introspective than 
 usual, for what of this phase she had hereto- 
 fore manifested had appeared usually later 
 in the day. She watched me, too, with a 
 curious intentness. 
 
 "But you're not so bad as you have been," 
 I offered. "You know you only lost a day, 
 this time." 
 
 "No, I'm getting hold of myself, I believe. 
 The doctor is helping me, I'm sure. I used 
 to lose four or five days every week. ' ' 
 
 "I congratulate you!" I said, falsely 
 enough, I confess. But I must at any cost 
 placate her. 
 
 "How was I yesterday, Chet?" 
 
 "What d'you mean?" 
 264 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 11 How did I act? What did I do? Was I 
 very different from what I am to-day, for 
 instance? Tell me all about it!" 
 
 This staggered me. She had never be- 
 trayed so much curiosity before; she had 
 always taken her lapses in her careless, 
 thoughtless way, without much question. I 
 saw Leah in the kitchen stop and listen, 
 her lips parted, showing her white teeth. 
 
 "You were very lovely as usual!" I said. 
 
 "I'm glad you found me so, Chet. You've 
 never said that before, you know!" 
 
 "Well, I've thought so, often enough!" 
 
 "Did you like me any better than you 
 usually do, then?" she insisted, keeping her 
 eyes on mine. 
 
 "Oh, there are some times when I don't 
 quite approve of you, I confess." 
 
 "When, Chet?" 
 
 "When you abuse* the dogs or Leah." 
 Leah disappeared. 
 
 "But they abuse me, too, horrid things!" 
 she complained peevishly. "And I can't for 
 the life of me see why you're so fond of 
 265 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Leah. She's a great trial to me. I'm only 
 keeping her on, now, on your account, and if 
 you scold me, I'll be sorry I did." 
 
 "Oh, I'm not going to scold you. You're 
 too charming." 
 
 "As charming as I was yesterday?" 
 
 ' ' Almost. ' ' I hated myself for saying it. 
 
 "What did we do yesterday? You haven't 
 told me yet." 
 
 "Why, we talked, mostly. We sat up in 
 your study all the afternoon, and in the even- 
 ing we played chess." 
 
 ' ' Played chess I I must have played pretty 
 badly!" 
 
 "Oh, no! In fact, you gave me a hard 
 fight and beat me. ' ' 
 
 "Chess is stupid, though. I'd rather talk. 
 What did we talk about?" 
 
 "Oh, about you, mostly." 
 
 "Did you make love to me?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Why not, if I was so very much nicer 
 than usual?" 
 
 Her deliberate misquotation, a common 
 266 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 enough feminine trait, was characteristic of 
 Edna's newly acquired mental agility, but 
 in addition I perceived that there was some- 
 thing behind even that. It was something 
 new for her to proceed so categorically. It 
 embarrassed me not a little, and yet I could 
 not quite bring myself to lie to her outright, 
 even to throw her off the track. It was al- 
 most impossible when I looked her straight 
 in the face Joy's face nor, of course, could 
 I reveal anything of what had really hap- 
 pened. 
 
 "Oh," I said, "you're very nice now, but 
 I 'm not making love to you, you see. ' ' 
 
 She further disconcerted me by saying, 
 "Why not?" 
 
 There was nothing to do now but to carry 
 the war into Africa. 
 
 "Because Doctor Copin seems to have that 
 right or privilege," I gave her boldly, mak- 
 ing a good deal of it by. my tone. 
 
 "Doctor Copin is very nice indeed to me; 
 indeed, he's nicer than you are to me, Chet. 
 He tells me things that you won't, and he's 
 267 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 helping me to get my memory back. Why 
 don 't you help me ? " 
 
 ''How can I help?" I asked. 
 
 ' ' Tell me how I was different yesterday, if 
 I was different. Was I different toward 
 him?" 
 
 "Of course, I don't know how you've been 
 in the habit of treating him before I came." 
 
 "Well, how did he treat me, then?" 
 
 "Oh, you'd better ask him about that! 
 But," I added, to try her, "I think he's un- 
 doubtedly in love with you. ' ' 
 
 "And you're not? For shame, Chet!" 
 She looked demurely at me, as if merely to 
 impugn my taste. "He's not nearly so nice 
 as you, Chet," she continued, "but he does 
 treat me better. He's done a great deal for 
 me, and, if I ever do get well, it will be 
 through his advice." 
 
 1 ' What does he do ? How does he treat you 
 can you tell me?" 
 
 "Why, he hypnotizes me, you know. I 
 told you that before." 
 
 "And gives you suggestions, I suppose?" 
 268 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I don't know what you mean. I just go 
 to sleep, and after a while I wake up again. 
 He hasn't been able to do it till quite lately, 
 and I don't understand it very well, anyway. 
 I don't care, so long as I recover. He says 
 I 'm a remarkably interesting case. ' ' 
 
 "So you are, Edna, most assuredly," I 
 replied. "You would be ? even if you were 
 all right." 
 
 "Thank you for that. I'll put down one 
 good mark to your credit. But tell me was 
 I pretty yesterday, Chet?" She looked up 
 at me earnestly under her brows. 
 
 ' ' Very pretty beautiful ! ' ' 
 
 "Was I clever, too?" 
 
 "Very!" 
 
 "More than usual? More pretty and more 
 clever than I am to-day?" 
 
 Wishing to see what she was driving at, I 
 risked a chance shot. ."Yes," I said. 
 
 "Oh, I hate you!" she cried, and she got 
 up in a pet and threw herself out of the 
 room, scowling. 
 
 I hurried after to propitiate her, but she 
 269 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 was already outdoors. I overtook her in the 
 lane and tried to take her hand and get her 
 back, but she flung away from me and walked 
 on without answering me. Giving up the 
 chase, I returned to the library, very 
 sorry to have aroused her temper. I knew 
 I should have lied to her for Joy's sake, 
 for the sake of peace, for the sake of final 
 victory. 
 
 I was pretty well convinced, by this time, 
 that Edna's eyes were opened, and she knew 
 what was going on. She must undoubtedly 
 have been informed by the doctor the day 
 before. That would account for her behavior 
 at dinner and in the evening. For the first 
 time in her life, she had become aware that, 
 during those lapses when she lost days at a 
 time, some one else lived for her, animating 
 the same body. If, as I was not too modest 
 to imagine, she cared for me, the reason for 
 her anger was evident. Edna was now prob- 
 ably definitely pitted against Joy in the con- 
 flict that was doubtless already on. I was 
 determined, therefore, to bring the thing to 
 270 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 a crisis, that we might, at least, know where 
 we stood. 
 
 I had not been alone fifteen minutes when I 
 saw Leah approaching the house. She was 
 sobhing, her head bent down, her handker- 
 chief to her eyes. I ran out to meet her, my 
 heart in my mouth. 
 
 She stopped and told me, trembling con- 
 vulsively as she spoke, that while on the way 
 with a broom to the cabin, intending to make 
 it fit for temporary occupancy, Edna had met 
 her and questioned her. At Leah's attempt 
 to conceal the truth, Edna, who was already 
 in an angry mood, burst into a fury and 
 struck Leah across the face with such force 
 that her cheek was badly cut, inside, by her 
 teeth. The revolver had dropped from 
 Leah's pocket; Edna had picked it up, ac- 
 cused Leah of stealing it, and had gone on 
 down the lane. 
 
 "Oh!" Leah cried passionately, "I don't 
 care how much she hurt me she's not re- 
 sponsible, I'm sure but I'm afraid that now 
 she'll send me away again. Then what will 
 271 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 become of Miss Joy? If she'll strike me, 
 she'll do worse. If we don't do something 
 pretty soon, it will be too late!" 
 
 "You must keep out of sight as much as 
 possible for the rest of the day," I said, "es- 
 pecially as the doctor will probably come 
 down. If we could only prevent that ! " At 
 the words, an idea occurred to me. "What 
 train does he usually come down on ? " 
 
 "The ten o'clock from the city. He 
 usually takes luncheon here." 
 
 "Then there's just time, perhaps, to catch 
 him. Come up-stairs. I'm going to try to 
 see if we can't find out something. It's a 
 desperate chance, but I'll take it. The thing 
 can't be much worse, even if we're found 
 out." 
 
 We went up into the study and I called up 
 the doctor's number. While we were wait- 
 ing for it I gave Leah her instructions. 
 
 "Don't speak loud, just barely loud 
 
 enough so that he may hear with difficulty, 
 
 and let him do most of the talking. Pitch 
 
 your voice as high as you can. Ask him 
 
 272 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 what train he's coming down on. I'll take 
 the receiver and listen, and tell you what else 
 to say." 
 
 In a few minutes the bell rang and we were 
 connected with the doctor's office. I heard 
 him say, "Hello! Is that you, Miss Field- 
 ing?" 
 
 "Say 'yes,' " I whispered. Leah did so. 
 
 "Anything the matter?" he asked. Leah 
 said "No." 
 
 "What did you want, then?" was his next 
 question. 
 
 Leah put the question about the train. 
 
 "I'm going to take the ten. I'm starting 
 right off. What's the matter with your 
 voice? It sounds different, and it's so weak 
 anyway, I can hardly hear it ! " 
 
 I told Leah to say, "What?" 
 
 "Oh, never mind," he exclaimed impa- 
 tiently. "There must be some trouble over 
 the line. I'd never recognize your voice at 
 all. Can you hear me plainly?" 
 
 "Yes," said Leah. 
 
 "Well, look out for Castle," he went on, 
 273 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 " Don't let him know that you suspect any- 
 thing, will you?" 
 
 "No," from Leah, at my prompting. 
 } "He's trying to make trouble for you; and 
 he will, if we don't look out. He's in love 
 with the other one, and you'd better try and 
 see if you can't get rid of him! Now, 
 Edna!" 
 
 "Yes!" Leah again repeated my whis- 
 pered word. 
 
 ' ' Are you listening ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Are you listening?" Why was he re- 
 peating the question? 
 
 "Yes!" 
 
 "Are you listening?" 
 
 At this, I suspected a formula he might be 
 using for some hypnotic suggestion. I whis- 
 pered to Leah to say "Yes, yes," faintly. 
 
 "Meet me at the station, sure. You will 
 come alone. Good-by!" 
 
 I hung up the receiver, pretty sure that 
 he had not suspected the deception. I went 
 down-stairs again, and as, by eleven o'clock 
 274 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Edna had not returned to the house, I had no 
 doubt that she had gone to the station of her 
 own volition to meet the doctor. This was 
 fortunate, as, seeing her evidently in obedi- 
 ence to his suggestion, he might be less likely 
 to question her about telephoning and there- 
 by discover our ruse. I was, however, nerv- 
 ous at the prospect of meeting them. Leah 
 could scarcely be kept if the trick were dis- 
 covered ; I should have hard work brazening 
 it out myself. 
 
 At about noon I started down the north 
 lane to meet them, and discover the state of 
 affairs in time to let Leah know. Half-way 
 to the road, however, I happened to recall 
 what Uncle Jerdon had told me about seeing 
 the two, the day we had broken down in the 
 automobile. I decided to hide and see what I 
 could discover in a word, to spy upon them. 
 I was by this time in no mood to be nice 
 about my choice of weapons, and I took the 
 first one that came to hand. 
 
 I had not waited long before I heard voices 
 approaching, and I concealed myself behind 
 275 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 a clump of bushes to watch. I was too far 
 away to hear distinctly, and, in fact, they did 
 very little talking an occasional exclamation 
 from her, and the doctor 's nasal replies. My 
 eyes told me more than my ears enough to 
 prove that, however Edna regarded me, the 
 doctor also came in for considerable more of 
 affectionate demonstration than I had sus- 
 pected, and either he was not so conscien- 
 tious as I had been, or he was actually in love 
 with her. Their actions were those of ac- 
 knowledged lovers. Why, then, had she 
 flirted with me? Was her behavior now, per- 
 haps, mere pique caused by the jealousy I 
 had aroused in the way I had spoken of Joy? 
 I went in as luncheon was served. Edna 
 met me a little coolly, the doctor more so. 
 I was decidedly uncomfortable at being now 
 a guest in a house where I was, perhaps, not 
 wanted, but I pretended not to notice any- 
 thing amiss, and endured my position as well 
 as I could. The doctor ignored my presence 
 completely, addressing all his dull witticisms 
 to Edna, who laughed at them as usual, do< 
 276 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ing her best, now and then, to drag me into 
 the conversation. She could not keep any 
 one mood for long, however, and before the 
 end of the meal I flattered myself that she 
 would, after all, prefer being with me alone ; 
 but the doctor's pop-eyes held her, and his 
 interminable foolery kept her whole atten- 
 tion concentrated upon him, despite herself. 
 Nothing at all was said about the telephon- 
 ing. 
 
 Directly after luncheon was over the two 
 went up-stairs into the study, without even 
 the formality of an apology to me. As Leah 
 was busy about her own work, I strolled out 
 into the kitchen to see King. He was wash- 
 ing the dishes, and greeted me with his cus- 
 tomary cryptic grin. 
 
 "Say, King," I said, "you got a joss in 
 your room?" 
 
 His grin grew wider. "Yep!" he ejacu- 
 lated, nodding. 
 
 "You no Christian, then? You not go to 
 Sunday-school?" 
 
 "Aw, no good go to Sunday-school I can 
 277 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 talk Melican all light. Chlistian joss no 
 good for Chinaman. You think so 1 " 
 
 "I guess you're right," I said. "But do 
 you worship your joss? You burn punk- 
 stick sometime I You trim him up with pa- 
 per flowers, maybe?" 
 
 He laughed to himself as if it were a great 
 joke, but kept on washing his dishes like a 
 machine. "You likee see my joss?" he said, 
 looking back over his shoulder. "Heap good 
 joss velly old. I bling him flom China." 
 
 "What d'you pray for, King?" 
 
 "Aw, sometime one thing, sometime other 
 thing. I play for good luck, allee same Chlis- 
 tian. You play, too?" 
 
 "Oh, sometimes," I said. "But go on, tell 
 me, King. When do you pray? You pray 
 to-day?" 
 
 He shook his head. "Aw, no; no play yet. 
 Play all time at night. ' ' 
 
 "What did you ask for last night, then? 
 Come on, tell me!" 
 
 "Aw, no, no!" He shook his head, still 
 laughing sillily. 
 
 278 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 " Money, King? I'll bet you prayed for 
 money I" 
 
 "Aw, no, no! I tell you. I play for Miss 
 Fielding." 
 
 I had stumbled upon a live wire! In- 
 stantly I was aroused, and careful to say no 
 tactless word. What I had already got from 
 him was an extraordinary amount for a 
 Chinese of his caste to discover to a white 
 man. So I went witfully to lead him on to 
 tell me more. 
 
 "That's good, King; I pray for Miss Field- 
 ing, too. I want her to get well. Don't 
 you?" 
 
 "Yep. She good lady, you bet. Maybe 
 she get well, I dunno." 
 
 "What you think the matter with her, 
 King? I'm worried about her." 
 
 He emptied his dish-water out, and wiped 
 his hands first. Then hje stopped suddenly 
 and said : 
 
 "Miss Fielding, she got one no-good debbil 
 on inside. You know? Sometime he heap 
 bad, sometime he keep still. Plenty people 
 279 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 have debbil in China; all time go pliest, he 
 dlive 'em away easy." 
 
 "The priest drives the devils away, King! 
 How does he do it?" 
 
 ' ' Oh, flighten debbil, tha 's all. Stlike gong, 
 burn fire-clackers, make all time heap loud 
 noise and debbil go away flighten'." 
 
 "I wish Miss Fielding could be cured as 
 easy as that, King!" 
 
 For the first time during the conversation 
 his grin disappeared. He came up to me, 
 gesticulating. 
 
 "You likee flighten away debbil? Maybe 
 I help you sometime?" 
 
 ' ' Could you do it t " I laughed. 
 
 "Sure! Aw! you no think so?" He re- 
 turned to wipe his dishes philosophically. I 
 smiled at his earnestness and walked away. 
 
 I sat down in the library to wait till the 
 doctor came down. I found that he would 
 have to walk to the station, as Uncle Jerdon 
 was away, and I determined to have another 
 talk with him, if I could manage to see him 
 alone. I had decided on a coup d 'etat. 
 280 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 In a half-hour they reappeared, Edna 
 showing traces of heaviness about her eyes, 
 as if she had been asleep. The doctor 
 looked at his watch, and found that he had 
 just time to walk to the train. I offered to 
 accompany him, and, though he appeared sur- 
 prised, he assented with a good grace. Edna 
 did not care to go with us. It seemed to me 
 that she not only perceived the antagonism 
 between the doctor and me, but fostered it 
 for her own ends. It was as if we were fight- 
 ing for her and she had decided to let the 
 best man win. So we left her and started 
 out. 
 
 I began as soon as we were round the turn 
 of the lane. 
 
 "Doctor Copin," I said, "I wish you'd let 
 me know exactly what Miss Fielding's con- 
 dition is, and what hopes you have for her 
 recovery. ' ' 
 
 "Did she ask you to interrogate me?" he 
 asked blandly. 
 
 "In a way, she did. But I do so, never- 
 theless, quite on my own responsibility, as a 
 281 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 friend who is very much interested in her 
 case." 
 
 ' ' Then I must decline to answer. You are 
 aware, I suppose, that Miss Fielding has had 
 her own reasons for not wishing the matter 
 to be discussed!" 
 
 "I'm perfectly aware of that, but I think 
 that, as I now know all the essential facts, it 
 can't possibly matter to her. On the other 
 hand, I can help, perhaps." 
 
 "I didn't know you were a specialist in 
 nervous diseases or even a psychologist," 
 he answered in a sneering tone. 
 
 "I am neither, but I have common sense 
 enough to perceive that her trouble is ap- 
 proaching a crisis. That, in fact, is my sole 
 justification for staying on here." 
 
 "Oh, if that's all, you can go any time. 
 I'm quite able to cope with the situation, I 
 assure you." 
 
 "Doctor Copin, I insist upon having a 
 statement of what you are doing in this mat- 
 ter. I speak as the representative of Miss 
 Fielding the real Miss Fielding." 
 282 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 He turned to me now with his thin lips 
 drawn back, showing his even line of false 
 teeth, in a cruel, selfish smile. "Insist?" he 
 repeated. "You have hardly that right, 
 whatever Miss Fielding has said. ' ' 
 
 "I certainly do have that right!" I main- 
 tained. 
 
 He stopped in his tracks and confronted 
 me. "Why?" he demanded. 
 
 The time had come for me to play my bluff. 
 
 "Because I am engaged to Miss Fielding!" 
 I announced curtly. 
 
 He scowled fiercely. "You are!" he re- 
 torted. "Very well, then, I have as good a 
 right to refuse to answer you ! ' ' 
 
 It was my turn to say, "Why? What do 
 you mean?" 
 
 "Because I am engaged to her myself. So 
 there you are!" With that he walked off, 
 leaving me standing, staring at him. I was 
 literally bluffed to a standstill. I watched 
 him striding down the lane in silence. I was 
 in a labyrinth of thought. Then I turned 
 slowly back toward the house and prepared 
 283 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 for war. I should have to get it out of 
 Edna, or give up and confess myself de- 
 feated. 
 
 As I walked up the lane I heard a rustling 
 in the bushes, and peering through them, I 
 saw Nokomis bounding along, her ears laid 
 back, her brush trailing. She leaped down 
 the bank a little way ahead of me and stood 
 for a moment, pointing in the direction of 
 the house. I called her, but she only turned 
 her fine head for a moment, and then trotted 
 on up the lane. I followed after her leisurely, 
 preparing for my cross-examination of 
 Edna. 
 
 Just before I came to the turn, I heard a 
 quick, sharp yelp, and a woman's shrill cry. 
 Then a shot rang out, echoing against the 
 hillside. I ran round the bend at full speed. 
 
 There was Edna with a pistol smoking in 
 her hand. In the path, in front of her, Noko- 
 mis lay dead. Leah, running up from the 
 house, had stopped behind Edna, and stood 
 horror-stricken, afraid to move. It was like 
 the scene of a play. 
 
 284 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I strode up. " What's happened?" I de- 
 manded. 
 
 Edna dropped the pistol to her side and 
 looked down at the collie angrily. 
 
 "Nokomis tried to bite me," she said. 
 "But she'll never try it again! I always 
 thought she was dangerous." 
 
 "Give me that revolver!" I said sternly. 
 
 She met my look, shrinking a little, and 
 handed over the weapon. I put it into my 
 pocket. Leah retreated fearfully to the 
 house. 
 
 First, I took Nokomis' body and carried 
 it to a bed of ferns beside the path, patted 
 her head and left her there till she could be 
 buried. Then I took Edna's arm, gently, and 
 led her away. She told me, a little frightened 
 now at the impressiveness of my manner, that 
 she had met Nokomis suddenly, and attempt- 
 ing to drive her away, the collie had snapped 
 viciously at her. Edna had the revolver 
 which she had taken from Leah earlier in the 
 day, still in her jacket pocket, and, at the 
 attack, had drawn it and fired immediately. 
 285 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I had no reproaches for her what was 
 there to say? Even in speaking, she had re- 
 covered from her mood, and she became as 
 blithe and inconsequent as if nothing had 
 happened the only effect apparent upon her 
 was a whimsical pettishness at my implied 
 rebuke. She began to attempt to cajole me 
 childishly, patting my hand, looking saucily 
 up into my face and pretending a sort of 
 arch depreciation of her temper. It was 
 evident that she was not at all sorry for 
 what she had done; in fact, she seemed to 
 be secretly altogether pleased at her prow- 
 ess, though she covered it with considerable 
 guile. 
 
 All the rest of the afternoon she was in an 
 excited frame of mind. She treated me with 
 all her former comradeship, but I could see 
 that she was acting. It gave me a new in- 
 sight into the rapidity of her development 
 effected by the doctor's information. She 
 was no longer a child ; she was becoming com- 
 plex, although still dominated by rapidly 
 changing moods. A new phase had indubi- 
 286 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 tably commenced; it was the sign, I feared, 
 of a growing supremacy. 
 
 That evening she wheedled me with every 
 art of the coquette. Her familiarity seemed 
 to give the lie to the doctor 's statement about 
 their engagement, but it might well be true 
 that she was playing him as audaciously as 
 she was playing me. I did not, of course, ask 
 her about it. It did not matter. 
 
 If I had needed to exercise my self-restraint 
 on that other evening when she attempted to 
 provoke me, it was much more necessary 
 now, for she had become less differentiated, 
 intellectually, from Joy; so much so, at 
 least, as to permit me at times to give my 
 imagination play, and fancy her, for the mo- 
 ment, the real Joy, my Joy in an alluring 
 guise, tinctured with wild-fire. The line of 
 cleavage now was more along moral lines. 
 Edna's mind was evolving at the expense of 
 her ethical nature. Her temptation was se- 
 ductive and arrantly conceived to torment 
 me ; I was sure that it was intended to shake 
 my allegiance to her rival self. It was like 
 287 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 playing with edged tools to be alone with her. 
 In her intervals of repose she fell so natur- 
 ally into Joy's poses that it was disconcert- 
 ing. It was like The Faerie Queene over 
 again ; like an errant knight, I was confronted 
 by the image of my mistress so cunningly en- 
 chanted that I could not tell till she spoke 
 that her body was obsessed by another spirit. 
 She asked me much about the day before, 
 and about what she had done and said. As 
 the evening wore on and she could not de- 
 feat my continual evasions, she began to grow 
 sullen and reserved. Finally, she appeared 
 to give it up, and went up-stairs with a sar- 
 castic emphasis to her "Good night, Prig!" 
 
 288 
 
VI 
 
 Next morning I lay in bed for some time 
 after I awoke, planning my day. If it were 
 Joy who appeared, there were several things 
 to be decided upon and accomplished; if 
 Edna, a conflict was imminent which caused 
 me much anxiety. Queerly enough, the pro- 
 posal I would have to make to Joy seemed 
 almost as if it would be an ex post facto 
 agreement. I had already announced my en- 
 gagement to the doctor, but I had not made 
 my bluff without holding a pretty good hand. 
 I couldn't doubt, by this time, how Joy felt 
 toward me. 
 
 At eight o'clock I heard the customary 
 dialogue Miss Fielding's door being still 
 left ajar but I noticed that her voice was 
 quick and excited. Leah was called in im- 
 mediately, and the two women seemed to 
 289 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 have more than the usual amount of talk to- 
 gether. 
 
 Next, I heard the dogs barking in answer 
 to their names; but there were only three 
 replies to Joy's calls, to-day. Poor old Noko 
 mis would never greet her mistress again. 
 Then the door was closed. Joy evidently 
 did not wait to have breakfast, as usual, in 
 her room, for fifteen minutes later I heard 
 her going down-stairs. 
 
 Fearing that something was wrong, though 
 I was sure, now, that it was Joy herself 
 whom I had heard, I rose and dressed as 
 quickly as I could. I found her in the library 
 waiting for me. 
 
 She held a folded paper in her hand, as she 
 sat by the window, looking out listlessly. I 
 bade her good morning; she looked up with- 
 out a smile and silently handed me the paper. 
 Unfolding it, I saw, written in a round, child- 
 ish, vertical script, the words : 
 
 "I know you now Cat!" 
 
 "I found this pinned to my pillow when I 
 woke up," she said. "It's from Edna." 
 290 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Then a faint, dreamy smile softened her lips 
 as she said, "You see, even to her, I am the 
 White Cat!" 
 
 "How d'you know it's from Edna?" 
 
 "It's her handwriting. She writes very 
 differently from me." 
 
 I looked at it, wondering. It was the first 
 shot in the battle. 
 
 "You see, she has found out. Her eyes 
 are opened," Joy said. 
 
 "Yes. I was going to tell you about it 
 to-day. I suspected it yesterday, and it has 
 proved true. It complicates things im- 
 mensely." 
 
 "Leah has told me that I struck her, too. 
 Think of it! It makes me positively faint. 
 "What horrible part of me has come to the 
 surface in Edna? What undiscovered self is 
 it that is torturing me so? It's a hideous 
 revelation. It shows how depraved I must 
 be, at heart." 
 
 "It isn't you!" I declared. "It's an- 
 other woman, quite. It's only you in the 
 sense that it would be you if you were in- 
 291 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 toxicated, or if you were dreaming, or in- 
 sane. You mustn't think of yourself as in 
 any way responsible;" 
 
 "Then of course she's not, either V 9 
 
 "No more than a child, or an idiot. She 
 uses your body and your mind, but she hasn 't, 
 so to speak, the use of your moral scruples. 
 She's a disintegrated self, imperfectly func- 
 tioned. All the same we have, of course, to 
 treat her as quite another person. And the 
 time is approaching, I think, when we '11 have 
 to act. I don't intend to spare her. We 
 must use force if necessary." 
 
 "How does she know about me, after so 
 long an ignorance?" Joy inquired. 
 
 I told her what I had heard at the tele- 
 phone. She could scarcely credit my testi- 
 mony. 
 
 "If the doctor is definitely leagued with 
 Edna, what can we do? He has all his 
 science and Edna's active help. I'm lost if 
 he's really against me! I can't be sure that 
 the doctor has deliberately played me false. 
 There may be some mistake." 
 292 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I think I can prove that to you," I an- 
 swered, "but I have a great deal to say to 
 you first." 
 
 I think she knew, then; I think she hoped 
 to hear what I was going to say, for she gave 
 me her hand, and smiled up at me as she rose 
 to go in to breakfast. We sat down with 
 Leah at the table. 
 
 I had taken it for granted that Leah had 
 told Joy everything that had happened the 
 day before, and so, not wishing to grieve her 
 further, I took care to say nothing about 
 Nokomis. But the swelling on Leah's cheek 
 could not be so easily ignored, and several 
 times I saw the tears come into Joy's eyes at 
 the sight of it. 
 
 While we were there the clock struck half- 
 past eight. At the sound Joy's face changed 
 an expression of abstraction came into it. 
 It was as if she were trying to recall some- 
 thing that eluded her memory. Then she 
 half rose, like a somnambulist. 
 
 "I think I'll run up-stairs and telephone 
 the doctor," she said, without looking at. me. 
 293 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Why should you?" I asked, much sur- 
 prised, after the way we had talked. 
 
 "I don't know," she said vaguely, looking 
 about the room. "Oughtn't he to know how 
 I treated Leah? Perhaps he can prevent 
 that in some way. ' ' 
 
 "You'd better not, Joy," I said. 
 
 She stood for a moment irresolute, and 
 then, as if urged by some extraneous impulse 
 she moved a little nearer the door. 
 
 "I just want to find out if he's coming 
 down to-day," she said automatically. 
 
 I jumped up and touched her shoulder. 
 
 "Please don't telephone to Doctor Copin 
 you mustn't!" I said with decision. 
 
 "Oh," she said, wide-eyed, coming to her- 
 self a little. "There's a reason?" 
 
 "There's a good reason!" I exclaimed 
 fervently. 
 
 She moved back, as if still opposing some 
 force that was drawing her out of the room, 
 sat down limply, half rose again, reseated 
 herself. 
 
 "Resist!" I said to her. 
 294 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Leah looked on without a word, breathless, 
 her lips open. 
 
 Joy looked madly at me. "What is it, 
 Chester! Tell me!" 
 
 "It's only a post-hypnotic suggestion, 
 that's all. You must defeat it." 
 
 Then she literally shook herself free from 
 the obsession. "Oh, why am I tortured and 
 racked so!" she exclaimed. "Can't I be 
 permitted to be myself when I am myself? 
 Isn't it bad enough to be robbed of myself 
 half the time without his imposing his will 
 on me now? Why is he doing this?" 
 
 "That's just what I want to find out," I 
 said. "The important thing is not to give 
 in to him. His experiments may possibly be 
 justified, but I don't think so. We certainly 
 have good ground to suspect him. Have you 
 quite got over your desire to telephone?" 
 
 "Yos but it's queer I can still think of 
 reasons why I might, though of course I agree 
 with you that it's not best to. You see, I've 
 only fiven up to you instead of to him. I'm 
 in the dark, now; I seem to have no 
 295 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 will of my own. I can't judge, I can't un- 
 derstand even my own impulses. Well, if 
 I'm blind you and Leah will lead me, won't 
 you?" 
 
 She reached over and took Leah's hand 
 affectionately. 
 
 "When we finished breakfast, Joy and I 
 went into the library. There was an old, gilt- 
 framed, concave mirror there, over the fire- 
 place, that gathered in and focused on its 
 disk the whole room in one condensed, 
 shadowy scene. Joy went up to it. 
 
 "Aren't we queer and strange in there?" 
 she said. "It's so dim and ghostly; when I 
 look up and see any one in it, it always seems 
 to me like some scene of Maeterlinck or Su- 
 dermann. ' ' 
 
 She walked over to another glass, more 
 formal and more true, and looked at herself 
 intently. 
 
 "Look at the lines about my eyes! They 
 
 weren't there a yar ago! My whole face 
 
 has changed. ... I have grown ten 
 
 years older this last month. . . . My 
 
 296 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 eyes themselves are different. . . . 
 There's another wrinkle. . . . I wish my 
 eyebrows were even. ... I believe my 
 nose is one-sided, too. . . ." 
 
 Her voice died away. I looked up and saw 
 her gazing into the mirror with a strange in- 
 tentness. Her brow was puckered into a 
 frown. Suddenly her hand went to her heart 
 with a gesture of horror. 
 
 "Oh!" she cried, and hid her face in her 
 hands. 
 
 "What is it ?" I asked. 
 
 "The doctor !" she exclaimed, shuddering. 
 
 "Tell me!" I insisted. 
 
 Instead, she sprang up and began to walk 
 up and down the room, wringing her hands. 
 "It's awful; it's all confused in my mind, 
 like a dream but I seem to remember 
 things that never happened at all. Oh, did 
 they ever happen?" she turned to demand 
 of me in despair. 
 
 "That's what I want you to tell me." 
 
 She dropped into her chair again and be- 
 gan to cry "Oh, I can't tell you! I can't! 
 297 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 It never happened, I 'm sure ! What does it 
 mean, Chester ?" 
 
 "It's probably what happened here yes- 
 terday to Edna that you remember, Joy. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, how dare he treat her so, then? It 
 comes back to me in scraps and shreds of 
 scenes. Oh, what a cad he must be! And 
 what a woman she must be, to allow him 
 oh, I can't stand it! Why did you make me 
 remember? How can I ever look any one 
 in the face again?" 
 
 She threw herself into the cushions on the 
 window-seat and burst into tears. There 
 was but one way to restore her self-respect, 
 and I went over to her and took her hand. 
 At first she pulled it away, but I persisted. 
 
 "Dear Joy," I said, "don't grieve so, for 
 it's all right. It was Edna, not you, you 
 know, and Edna's not responsible for what 
 she does, I'm sure. Don't cry, for I have 
 something to say to you, now, that you must 
 answer." 
 
 She looked at me through her tears, and 
 waited. 
 
 298 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I want you to marry me, Joy." 
 
 "Oh, please don't! 99 she exclaimed. 
 "Marry you? How can I listen to such a 
 thing, after what has happened? Oh, no, 
 no!" 
 
 "It's partly on account of that that I ask 
 you now. I want to help you, and I can help 
 you so much more if we are engaged. I 
 want the right to help you." 
 
 "Oh, it's only pity that makes you ask 
 me. It's only to protect me! Never, 
 never!" 
 
 ' ' It isn 't that, ' ' I protested. "Hove you, 
 Joy I have loved you for a long time, and 
 loving you, I want to save you, not only for 
 your sake, but for my own as well. I want 
 you for my wife, Joy ! Don't you love me ? ' ' 
 
 Her tears had ceased and now she looked 
 at me with bright eyes that burned softly. 
 
 "My dear," she said, "of course I love 
 you! I think I have loved you ever since 
 that first day you came here. But for that 
 very reason I must say no. How could I 
 ever drag you into this wretched trouble ? ' ' 
 299 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Oh, I'm in it all over, whether or no," I 
 said. "Do you think I could ever leave you 
 now! Were I only your friend, even, I'd 
 have to stay with you; but I'm your lover, 
 Joy! I'm most desperately in love with you. 
 And I intend to have you, too! No matter 
 what you say, no matter what you do, you 're 
 mine, and you can't get away from me. So 
 you'd better just say 'yes' this moment." 
 
 She sat up and looked at me tenderly. 
 "Don't speak of it again not till all this 
 problem is settled, at least. It's impossible. 
 Do you think I could think of it after what 
 has happened, after I've found out what I 
 really am? If I am ever released from this 
 spell if I can ever forget what I've just 
 found out, it will be time enough to speak of 
 love. But not now, I beg of you. I'm the 
 White Cat!" 
 
 "I've already told the doctor that we're 
 engaged," I said. 
 
 "You told the doctor!" she exclaimed. 
 "How could you?" 
 
 I repeated our conversation in the lane. 
 300 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Her momentary resentment at me died away 
 at hearing the doctor's own announcement. 
 
 "Then perhaps Edna is in love with him, 
 after all ! That would account for much, and 
 excuse everything, perhaps/' She drew a 
 sigh of relief at the thought of this pallia- 
 tion. 
 
 "I don't think she is, but she might be 
 willing to marry him to get her freedom," 
 I offered. 
 
 "But then, if Edna is in love, I have still 
 less right to let you propose to me. Why, 
 just think of it it's incredible! If they're 
 engaged " 
 
 "They're not engaged, I'm sure." 
 
 "It makes no difference she may care for 
 him more than you think. It's fearful! I 
 can't talk about it!" 
 
 "But she can't marry him ! We must pre- 
 vent that ! Think of the horror of that pos- 
 sibility!" 
 
 I had small need to appeal to her imagina- 
 tion. Her mind was already whirling with 
 the possibilities of such a situation. She 
 301 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 stared at me, dazed, speechless, her eyes 
 filled with terror. Then she collapsed and 
 fell into my arms. 
 
 "Oh, Chester, what shall I do? Take care 
 of me ! I 'm so frightened ! ' ' 
 
 "You must listen to me, Joy," I said. "I 
 love you so that my heart will break if you 
 don't consent and let me help you. You 
 must be my wife, and then we can defy them 
 and fight it out together." 
 
 She started up with a new thought. "Oh, 
 hasn't Edna a right to her love, too! Won't 
 it be as bad for her, possibly, if I consent? 
 How can I force her to suffer that! How 
 can I bear to think of your being with her 
 while I'm wandering, lost, eclipsed? Oh, 
 don't you see how shockingly impossible the 
 whole thing is? We can neither of us dare 
 to love. We have no right even to think of 
 it! How can you suggest it? It's unthink- 
 able!" 
 
 "But you love me?" I asked. 
 
 She offered me her lips for the first time, 
 and clung to me, trembling. 
 302 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Then nothing is impossible. We'll wait 
 a while, and see. But at least, so far as the 
 doctor is concerned, I can't afford to be 
 stultified. You'll not repudiate my an- 
 nouncement! You'll admit it to him, if he 
 asks? I must have that weapon against 
 him.'' 
 
 She turned it over in her mind. "I'll not 
 deny it," she said finally, "but you must not 
 consider it a promise. It's simply too 
 ghastly to think of!" 
 
 I had gained that much, at any rate, and 
 though my heart sank at the thought of the 
 possibilities our words had pictured, I still 
 hoped to be inspired to some successful plan 
 for attack and defense. I knew that Joy 
 loved me that was everything. It made me 
 bolder and more confident. So I put the 
 horrors from me and thought only of our 
 love. 
 
 She turned suddenly toward me and said: 
 "What would you do for me, Chester?" 
 
 "Anything, except give you up!" 
 
 "Remember the White Cat!" she said, 
 303 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Would you do what she asked the Prince 
 to do?" 
 
 "What do you mean?" 
 
 She spoke deliberately. "Conceive, if you 
 can, our being beaten in the end. Conceive 
 that Edna might marry the doctor and then 
 think of me!" 
 
 "I'll prevent that!" I said, through my 
 teeth. 
 
 "You may not be able to prevent it, except 
 in one way." 
 
 I understood. "If I ever believe that that 
 is the only way to prevent it I promise to 
 help you." 
 
 "I may be able to do it alone; of course 
 I shall try. But if I haven't the means, the 
 opportunity, you must promise to help me 
 find them." 
 
 "I promise!" I repeated. 
 
 She tossed her head back with her old ges- 
 ture. 
 
 Then I said: "Joy, all this is unneces- 
 sary; though I've promised. If you'll only 
 marry me now if you'll even consent to an 
 304 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 engagement, it will enable me to defy the doc- 
 tor and prevent his coming here." 
 
 "Oh, I can not, I can not!" she cried. 
 "You know why as well as I! It's too aw- 
 ful! I love you that must be enough for 
 the present." ? 
 
 She rose and added: "Let's go outdoors 
 and take a walk. Perhaps the air and the 
 sun will do me good, and afterward we can 
 think it over and decide how to manage the 
 doctor. I'll just run up-stairs and change 
 my clothes and then we'll try the sun-cure." 
 
 As she went up to her room, I walked out 
 into the kitchen to talk to King while I 
 waited for her. He was busy at the stove, 
 but welcomed me with his usual meaningless 
 grin. 
 
 "Well, King," I said, "I guess your joss 
 is pretty good, after all. Miss Fielding is 
 better to-day." 
 
 "H'm!" He shook his head. "Debbil 
 come plenty time more!" 
 
 "Perhaps we can pray him away," I sug- 
 gested. 
 
 305 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 He dropped his spoon and came up and 
 took my arm. 
 
 "You likee come lookee my joss?" 
 
 I assented, amused at his insistence, and 
 he led me out into the yard where, beside the 
 stable, he had a little shed. It was filled with 
 the odor of burning sandalwood. In his 
 room, by the upper end of his cot, was his 
 porcelain joss, a horrible-faced deity. Long 
 placards of red paper containing Chinese 
 writing were hung about, and there were pa- 
 per flowers, dusty and fly-specked, upon the 
 stand. At the feet of the idol was a bowl full 
 of ashes in which were many joss-sticks. 
 Three were lighted, the others had burned 
 out. There was also a small lamp, with a 
 lighted wick floating on the nut-oil. I in- 
 spected it all very seriously. 
 
 King rummaged in his trunk, and soon, 
 grinning, beckoned to me. I went over to 
 him and saw, in the tray, a large, ferocious- 
 looking mask such as are used in the Chinese 
 theaters and at the Feasts of the Dead. Be- 
 side it was a pair of huge brass cymbals and 
 306 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 a snake-skin tomtom. King held up the 
 mask. 
 
 ' * Oh, you used to be an actor, eh T ' I said. 
 
 He grinned and held the thing in front of 
 his face. It certainly was horrible. He 
 took up the cymbals and struck one clang. 
 Then he put them away. 
 
 "Heap good for debbil. Dlive him away 
 quick !" he said. "Maybe some time I tly 
 him ! You think so ? " 
 
 I laughed, and went back to the library, 
 where Joy was already waiting for me. 
 
 She was standing by the window-seat, look- 
 ing out, putting in a hat-pin, lost in thought, 
 when I entered. My footsteps made no noise 
 on the heavy rug, and I thoughtlessly 
 touched her on the shoulder before she was 
 aware of my approach. Absorbed in her 
 trouble, unstrung, the surprise startled her 
 with a sudden irrational terror; she leaped 
 away as if from the touch of a snake. Then, 
 seeing me, she dropped upon the window- 
 seat, her hand on her heart. 
 
 "Oh, you frightened me so! You see how 
 307 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 nervous I am. I didn't hear you. I'm a 
 goose ! ' ' 
 
 I took no step toward her, but stood there 
 gazing at her. A sudden idea had come to 
 me at sight of her fear, and immediately a 
 plan was unrolled before me, a perfected 
 thing, a solution of the problem, perhaps. 
 At my fixed, stony attitude, however, she 
 took a new alarm and cried out : 
 
 "What is it, Chester? What is it?" 
 
 "Wait a moment," I said quietly, "let me 
 think it out." My tone reassured her, but 
 she was still agitated as she watched me 
 while I turned it over in my mind. Then I 
 took a seat beside her. 
 
 "It's a desperate chance, but it may 
 work." 
 
 "You have a plan?" she asked anxiously. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 "I can't tell you. It will be much better 
 for you not to know." 
 
 "Oh, I'm afraid not to know! It's dread- 
 ful to be conspiring against that poor girl. 
 308 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 It's like plotting a murder. I can't bear the 
 thought of it. You must tell me." 
 
 "It will be hard enough for me you could 
 not stand it," I said. "You'll have to trust 
 me, for I shall save you in spite of yourself. 
 But I can't share this with you." 
 
 "You'll not injure her, Chester?" 
 
 "How can I, when it will be your own face 
 that I shall confront? It will be your own 
 voice that I shall hear. I wonder if I can 
 doit!" 
 
 "Oh, I must know or I shan't consent," 
 she declared. "What right have we to de- 
 stroy her, after all? She has a right, per- 
 haps, to her life 1 ' ' 
 
 "Joy," I said, "you must think of it as a 
 dream, as I said. In our dreams we suffer 
 and enjoy, but so long as there is no bridge 
 between that and our waking state, it need 
 not matter to us. What must be done is no 
 more than a surgical operation. It will re- 
 store you, I think, to health." 
 
 "But what of her?" 
 
 "She'll merely disappear. She'll take her 
 309 
 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 place on the map again and join the rest 
 of you/' 
 
 "You won't tell me?" 
 
 "I can't!" 
 
 She rose proudly. "Then I do not con- 
 sent," she declared. "I can suffer still. 
 I'll summon new reserves of strength and 
 I'll fight it out as it has begun. I'll forswear 
 happiness, love, peace. I'll accept my fate 
 until I can stand it no longer. Then, I 
 have my own remedy and I shall not be 
 afraid to adopt it. There's always that way 
 out! No, I'm stronger than you think, and 
 it's quite settled. Now come outdoors and 
 let's get some fresh air. It's like a haunted 
 house in here." 
 
 I tried no longer to persuade her, but I had 
 already decided that I would put my plan 
 through without her consent, if necessary. 
 It happened, however, that this course was 
 not necessary. 
 
 We went out into the sunshine and the 
 fresh air and the perfume of June roses. In 
 front of the house she stopped and called 
 310 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 the collies. They came trooping joyfully 
 about her. 
 
 "Where's Nokomisf " she asked. "Hasn't 
 Nokomis come back yet? That's queer!" 
 
 I saw, then, that she had not been told. It 
 was shocking to have to inflict this new blow 
 upon her, after all she had been through, but 
 it could do no good to conceal the fact any 
 longer. As she turned to go around to the 
 stable, I took her hand. 
 
 "Send the dogs back," I said. 
 
 She did so, with a question in her eyes. I 
 took her arm and led her down toward the 
 turn of the lane. 
 
 "Nokomis will never come back, Joy," I 
 said. 
 
 "Why?" she exclaimed. Then she saw 
 the answer in my eyes, and she grasped my 
 arm, as if she were about to fall. 
 
 "Oh, don't say Nokomis isn't dead?" she 
 whispered. 
 
 "It was my fault, Joy; I should have had 
 her taken away out of danger. But I was 
 too late." 
 
 311 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I took her to the bed of ferns and pointed 
 to the dead collie still lying there. 
 
 She ran to the spot and looked, aghast. 
 Then, dropping to the ground, she took No- 
 komis' head tenderly and laid it in her lap. 
 
 "Oh, Nokomis, Nokomis!" she mourned, 
 her little hand smoothing the ruffled neck af- 
 fectionately. 
 
 I told her how it had happened, and she 
 gazed at me, dry-eyed, till I had finished. 
 Then she put the collie's beautiful head 
 down, straightened out the body and finally 
 broke into sobs that shook her whole body. 
 I let her cry it out. 
 
 She looked up at me, her face drawn and 
 tear-stained. 
 
 "Poor old Nokomis!" was all she could 
 say. 
 
 I took her hand and helped her up, then 
 led her gently away, as I had led Edna away 
 only yesterday. It was the same hand I 
 took, but it was so cold and weak! It was 
 the same face I saw, but it was so shadowed 
 with sadness! It was the same voice I 
 312 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 heard, but then it had been proud and care- 
 less now it was so tremulously stricken! 
 
 "To think that I should have killed No- 
 komis ! ' ' she said. 
 
 "It wasn't you, dear!" 
 
 "How do I know? If I could be sure!" 
 was her doubting answer. 
 
 Then she wheeled about and faced me. 
 She put both her hands on my shoulders and 
 clung desperately to me. 
 
 "Chester," she cried, "take me, if you will 
 if you dare! I don't know any more 
 what's right and what's wrong. The White 
 Cat is blind ! I must have you I want you ! 
 I can't live without your help! I'll give it 
 all up, now, and let you act; for I shall die 
 anyway, if such a thing as this should hap- 
 pen again. Next time it may be Leah it 
 may be even you! If you can save me, I'll 
 marry you. I consent to the engagement 
 I'll say 'yes' with all my heart, with all 
 gratitude and all love. It's wrong and cow- 
 ardly, I'm afraid, but you and Leah are all 
 I have." 
 
 313 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I kissed her on the lips, and put on her fin- 
 ger the little old seal ring I wore. 
 
 "Then we must be married," I said. 
 
 She freed herself and took a step back. 
 
 "Oh, no! Not yet!" she said sadly. 
 "No, not even yet! When you have tried 
 your plan and I give you leave, now 
 when you have succeeded in freeing me 
 then we will be married. Oh, you must free 
 me first I can't share you with Edna you 
 must destroy her, before she destroys me!" 
 
 "Very well," I said. "I can't urge you 
 further, though I am afraid there is a great 
 risk in delay. I must go up to town first, and 
 I shall have to leave you here, of course. I 
 doubt if I could manage Edna, should she 
 appear to-morrow while we're in town. But 
 I shall return as soon as possible to-mor- 
 row at the latest. Now I must get ready to 
 take the one o'clock train up." 
 
 As we sat in the library waiting for Uncle 
 Jerdon, Joy took up the crystal prism and 
 watched abstractedly the rainbow spot upon 
 the ceiling. 
 
 314 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "You're leaving for the second time," she 
 said. "It's the end of the second quest, isn't 
 it? I'm afraid the White Cat has no piece 
 of cloth fine enough to give her Prince, 
 though." 
 
 I pointed up at the streak of prismatic 
 color. 
 
 "There's a veil of beauty as wonderful 
 as that the king's son brought home. Surely 
 it's fine and subtle enough to pass through 
 the eye of a cambric needle ! ' ' 
 
 She handed the crystal to me with a tender 
 smile. 
 
 "Keep it, Son of a King! And, if you 
 win me, I'll see you clad in those rainbow 
 hues all my life long ! ' ' 
 
 At one o'clock I was in the train on the 
 way to town, deliberating my plan and ar- 
 ranging for the preparations I must make. 
 
 315 
 
PART THIRD 
 
I started back for Midmeadows at ten 
 o'clock the next day. It was a fine breezy 
 morning and the country-side was full of 
 odors. The sky was an intense blue, abound- 
 ing in great rolling white clouds which spot- 
 ted it like the continents and islands of a 
 huge map upon which some titanic Napoleon 
 was continually carving and remodeling new 
 realms and empires of the firmament. 
 
 I paid less attention to them, however, 
 than I did to the mental empire it was now 
 my purpose to overthrow. If thunder and 
 lightning could burst the cloud that kept the 
 sunshine from my sweetheart's life, I was 
 determined to conjure that storm. 
 
 I had, during my few hours in town, con- 
 sulted a medical friend upon Joy's case, and 
 while he gave no professional approval to 
 my project, he had not denied the possibility 
 319 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 of its being effective in producing a cure. 
 Such conditions as Miss Fielding's were by 
 no means rare, but they had been so little 
 studied, except phenomenally, that there was 
 no authorized course of treatment known. 
 Each had to be dealt with according to its 
 especial characteristics, and according to cir- 
 cumstances. He had talked to me a good 
 deal concerning "subliminal selves," of the 
 theory of "successive planes of conscious- 
 ness" and of "isolated personalities," end- 
 ing with the statement that, so far as any 
 definite knowledge of the psychology of 
 multiple or dissociated personality was con- 
 cerned, even doctors were the merest laymen. 
 Of its actual rationale they knew virtually 
 nothing, though in some cases the disinte- 
 grated personalities had been synthesized 
 into a normal self by means of hypnotic 
 treatment. 
 
 I had left Joy herself, yesterday, and, in 
 
 view of her accelerated alternations, due to 
 
 the doctor's influence, I had every reason to 
 
 expect to find Edna to-day in control. My 
 
 320 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 chief hope was that she and Leah were still 
 upon amicable terms, and that they would 
 be alone in the house. But there had been 
 time for many things to happen, and I 
 awaited the news with considerable anxiety, 
 though braced for any ordeal that might 
 come except, of course, what did come. I 
 dismissed the carriage at the lane and walked 
 the rest of the way. 
 
 There was no sign of life outside the 
 house; I went up to the front door and 
 knocked. It was some time before my sum- 
 mons was answered, and then, to my dismay, 
 by Doctor Copin. This was worse than I 
 had feared. 
 
 "Oh, how d'you do, Castle!" he said, 
 making no move to let me in. 
 
 "I'm down again, you see. I believe Miss 
 Fielding is expecting me," I said, as coolly 
 as I could. 
 
 He stood with his hand on the door, de- 
 fending the entrance. "I'm very sorry to 
 say that Miss Fielding is not well to-day, and 
 she can't see you." 
 
 321 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 " Can't see me! Why, that's impossible. 
 She knows perfectly well that I was to re- 
 turn to-day!" 
 
 " She's said nothing about it to me, if she 
 does. At any rate, she's in no condition to 
 see anybody, and I must ask you to leave." 
 
 " Would you mind telling her that I'm 
 here ? " I said. 
 
 "I'll speak to her, if you like, though I 
 don't particularly care to disturb her at 
 present. Wait a moment, and I'll see how 
 she is." 
 
 He shut the door and, I think, locked it. I 
 waited on the step, hoping for a sight of 
 Leah, and trying to make up my mind what 
 to do if I were refused admittance. I might 
 attempt to enter by force, but, with the doc- 
 tor there, I could not possibly put my project 
 into action. He finally reappeared with a 
 long face. 
 
 "Miss Fielding begs to be excused," he 
 announced. 
 
 "It's most extraordinary; I must insist on 
 seeing her ! " I cried. 
 
 322 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "You certainly don't wish to force your- 
 self in where you're not wanted!" he insin- 
 uated. 
 
 "If I were sure I wasn't wanted, no. But 
 I don't believe you took my message in to 
 her at all." 
 
 "I'll accept that insult, Mr. Castle, and 
 we'll settle it at some other time. Just now, 
 I must ask you to leave immediately. You 
 may happen to recall what I told you the last 
 time we met. As Miss Fielding's fiance it is 
 not only my right but my duty to see that 
 you go." 
 
 "And do you recall my own words on that 
 occasion? I have as good a right to insist 
 upon entering!" I maintained. 
 
 "Well, well, this is no time to discuss that, 
 for my presence is needed in the house," he 
 replied. "As I am engaged to Miss Field- 
 ing, No. 2, if you please to accept that desig- 
 nation, and as it is No. 2 who is at present 
 receiving me, you'll perhaps see the force of 
 my claim." 
 
 It was infamous to have to stand bicker- 
 323 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ing with him, and, as it could do no good to 
 enact a scene, I turned away, lifted my hat 
 and bade him "good morning!" He bowed, 
 shut the green door, and this time I distinctly 
 heard the key turn in the lock. 
 
 I was for a moment at a loss how to pro- 
 ceed, but walked slowly down the lane. At 
 the bend I looked back and saw Leah at an 
 upper window gesticulating to me. I 
 stopped and watched her. 
 
 From her signs I gathered that she wished 
 to meet me, and, being careful to make no 
 signal in return, I passed out of sight and 
 waited. It was fifteen minutes before she 
 appeared, coming through the underbrush, 
 having made a detour from the back of the 
 house to escape observation. 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Castle, " she said breathlessly, 
 "it's dreadful! The doctor has been down 
 here since early in the forenoon, and he has 
 been with Edna all the time, shut up in the 
 library.' 7 
 
 "What are they doing? Could you see or 
 hear?" 
 
 324 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Oh, what aren't they doing I" she ex- 
 claimed, turning away. "It's unbearable. 
 I don't see how you can stand it!" 
 
 "I can't stand it! I won't stand it! I'll 
 break down the door if they won't let me 
 in ! " I broke out. " I'll kill him ! " 
 
 Leah caught my hand and stopped me. 
 "It's no use," she said, "Edna herself won't 
 let you in, I'm afraid. She's different this 
 morning. I never saw her so much under his 
 influence. Usually she jokes with him and 
 teases him in all sorts of ways, but to-day 
 she's more quiet and determined." 
 
 "Has she treated you badly?" 
 
 "No if it were only that, I wouldn't care. 
 It's something more dangerous. She's 
 crafty and secret. It's sinister. It makes 
 my flesh crawl !"* 
 
 "Do you know how long the doctor will 
 stay?" 
 
 "He's going back this afternoon, I think. 
 That's why he's working so hard with her, 
 I suppose. She's like a bird with a serpent 
 she's fascinated by him." 
 325 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "What did he say to her did you hear?" 
 
 "He has been hypnotizing her. I heard 
 him say, 'You will be Edna, Edna, Edna!' 
 he repeated it over and over. ' ' 
 
 "You must go back to the house, then, im- 
 mediately. You mustn't be missed on any 
 account. Do your best to placate her and 
 avoid trouble. I'll watch in the old cabin 
 till he goes past. As soon as he's out of the 
 way, I'll come." 
 
 She was off on the instant through the 
 wood toward the back of the house. I 
 walked down the lane and along the highroad 
 a little way, to the deserted cabin. Here I 
 took my post behind a window and waited 
 patiently. 
 
 A couple of hours went by. It was an 
 eternity to me. A hundred times I decided 
 to go and break down the door of the house 
 and have it out with the doctor. I had a 
 couple of revolvers in my bag and the temp- 
 tation to shoot him on sight was strong. 
 When I thought of what was probably going 
 on in the house of Joy's body, perhaps, at 
 326 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 his mercy it was all I could do to remem- 
 ber that my intervention at this moment 
 would ruin all hopes of her eventual release 
 from his power. I bore it for her sake, with 
 my teeth gritted, thinking mad thoughts. 
 
 At last I heard the rattle of wheels and 
 saw the carriage approach. Uncle Jerdon 
 was driving; the doctor, smoking a cigar, was 
 laughing complacently. I shrank out of 
 sight till they had passed. Then I left the 
 cottage and ran up the lane. 
 
 Edna was sitting outside on the door-step 
 as I approached, but, on seeing me, she rose 
 and went quickly inside, shutting the door. 
 She was indeed different, if she failed to wel- 
 come me. My heart fell, but I went up to the 
 door and knocked. No answer. I knocked 
 again, and, after a long wait, Leah appeared. 
 
 By her first glance at me, and an almost 
 imperceptible nod of her head toward the 
 library door, I knew that Edna was near by, 
 watching and listening. I was not surprised, 
 therefore, when, in answer to my greeting 
 and question, Leah replied : 
 327 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "Miss Fielding is sorry that she can't see 
 you to-day. She's not well. She says that 
 she sent you that word before." 
 
 "Mayn't I even speak to her for a mo- 
 ment?" I asked. 
 
 "She begs that you will excuse her, Mr. 
 Castle." Leah's eyes gave me another 
 sign. 
 
 "Very well, then; tell her I'm much dis- 
 appointed, but I won't trouble her again." 
 I added a gesture in the direction of the lane 
 and walked away without looking back. I 
 felt that Edna was watching from the library 
 window. Leah closed the door. 
 
 I went a little way down the lane, search- 
 ing my mind for some means of combating 
 this unlooked-for contretemps. I had dis- 
 covered a possible way out before Leah ap- 
 peared, a half -hour later. 
 
 "Oh, I'm afraid she'll miss me this time!" 
 she said, her eyes wide and frightened. "I 
 took my chances, though, and you must be 
 quick. What shall I do?" 
 
 "I am going over to the Harbor," I said. 
 328 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I shall be back, probably in about an hour 
 and a half, and I'll wait here for you. You 
 must find some excuse for coming again. 
 Then I'll give you your instructions. If 
 anything happens that positively prevents 
 your coming, hang a towel out of my win- 
 dow. That's all now; go back!" 
 
 She flew back to the house, and I started 
 for the village, where I knew there was an 
 apothecary's shop. In forty minutes I had, 
 with some difficulty, procured what I wanted, 
 a bottle of chloroform. But it was two hours 
 before I got back to Midmeadows. Ap- 
 proaching the house, and keeping carefully 
 hidden by the trees, I saw that there was no 
 signal at the window, and knew that I could 
 expect Leah. I retired a few yards beyond 
 the curve and waited for her. 
 
 It was by this time about half-past six 
 o'clock in the evening, and it was still light 
 and warm, though the shadows were long 
 about the old house. I had done a deal of 
 waiting that day, and it had begun to tell on 
 me. It was a great relief when Leah ap- 
 329 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 peared, looking about anxiously. I came out 
 from hiding. 
 
 "How goes it?" I asked. 
 
 "All right, but she's been restless and fret- 
 ful. I shouldn't have been able to get off 
 possibly, if she hadn't decided to take a walk 
 before supper. She's gone up over the hill. 
 What are you going to do, Mr. Castle?" 
 
 I handed her the bottle, and as she caught 
 sight of the label her hand shook so that she 
 nearly dropped it. 
 
 "What we'll have to do is to put her to 
 sleep, so that Joy may return. I don't 
 know, of course, whether it will work or not, 
 but it's the only way I can think of. Have 
 the bottle ready, hidden in the library, and 
 wait till she sits down to supper. Then go 
 in quickly, soak your handkerchief with the 
 chloroform, come up behind her, and hold it 
 to her face tightly with all your strength, 
 for she'll struggle till her head drops. 
 You must act quickly and firmly. If she has 
 the slightest suspicion of anything, you'll 
 fail, and we're lost. As soon as you've laid 
 330 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 her on the floor, call me. I'll be right out- 
 side, ready to come in." 
 
 "But King?" she asked, trying hard to 
 .control her excitement. 
 
 "If King sees you, or attempts to inter- 
 fere, tell him that I am trying to drive out 
 Miss Fielding's devil. But he won't, I 
 think. Is Uncle Jerdon there?" 
 
 "No, he's gone after the cow he won't 
 come into the kitchen till after seven o'clock, 
 when he 's through with his milking. ' ' 
 
 "Very well, then. Can you do it? Have 
 you the nerve ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes. I'll do anything to bring back Miss 
 Joy!" 
 
 She held herself erect, her lips compressed, 
 looking at me bravely, though immensely agi- 
 tated. I knew that whatever the struggle 
 might cost her, I could rely upon her to rise 
 , to the situation. I sent her away with a final 
 word of encouragement. 
 
 I waited some ten minutes more ; then cau- 
 tiously approached the house, went close to 
 the library window, and looked in. 
 331 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 It was not long before I saw Miss Fielding 
 enter from the hall door, take up a paper, 
 look it over listlessly, and then, at the sound 
 of King's gong, go into the dining-room and 
 take her seat. This was just outside my 
 range of vision, but occasionally, as she 
 leaned back, I caught sight of her head. 
 Leah passed and repassed several times, 
 waiting upon her. I watched in an excited 
 suspense. 
 
 I had begun to fear that the girl had lost 
 her courage, when I saw her suddenly dart 
 into the library, take the bottle from behind 
 the books in one of the cases, and open it, 
 drenching her handkerchief. At that very 
 moment Edna must have called; for a mo- 
 ment I saw her head, as she turned round to 
 look into the library. Then it disappeared 
 again. Leah stole back into the dining-room, 
 with the handkerchief held behind her. 
 
 She stopped back of Edna's chair. Then 
 her right hand flew round with the handker- 
 chief, and her left covered it. There was a 
 short hard struggle, as Edna tried to free 
 332 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 herself, but Leah held firm, crouching behind 
 her mistress, tense and determined. 
 
 I waited for no more, but ran to the front 
 door, through the library and into the din- 
 ing-room. 
 
 Miss Fielding sat huddled into her chair, 
 limp, inert, her arms hanging at her sides. 
 Leah still stood behind her, staring, her eyes 
 showing the whites above her pupils, her lips 
 parted. She remained as if transfixed at 
 the sight of what she had done. 
 
 I seized the unconscious form, and, taking 
 it up in my arms, bore it into the library 
 and laid it upon the couch in the window. 
 Leah followed, without a word, still staring 
 stupidly. I thrust her, then, into a chair, 
 fearing that she might faint. 
 
 Then I stooped over Miss Fielding, call- 
 ing, "Joy! Joy! Joy!" 
 
 333 
 
n 
 
 I called her name involuntarily, I suppose, 
 yet there was in my motive, too, a dim idea 
 that the suggestion might in some way in- 
 fluence her to awaken as Joy, rather than as 
 Edna. I did my best, meanwhile, to assist 
 her to revive, fanning her with a newspaper 
 and chafing her hands. 
 
 Long before she came to herself, however, 
 there began a convulsive struggle that was 
 one of the most terrible things I had to wit- 
 ness in all my experience with her. It was 
 as if her two selves were fighting for su- 
 premacy, for the possession of her body, 
 which was their battle-field. I could only 
 wait helplessly for that fierce struggle grad- 
 ually to expend itself in tremblings and in 
 sighs, while I called her again and again, 
 now with a definite idea of hypnotic sug- 
 gestion. The conflict seemed to go on for a 
 334 
 
THE WHITE GAT 
 
 long, long time, though in point of fact it 
 lasted, I think, only a few minutes. At the 
 end, she drew a long, deep breath, relaxed, 
 and opened her eyes. Almost immediately 
 she was overcome by a violent nausea, and, 
 attending to her and soothing her, it was 
 some time before we knew with whom we had 
 to deal. Her first words reassured me. 
 
 "Chester!" she exclaimed, "you've come 
 back! I'm so glad, but I'm terrified what 
 has happened?" 
 
 I kissed her, kneeling on the floor beside 
 her, stroking her hand. "Don't worry, 
 dear," I said, "it's all right now." 
 
 She started up with a glad look on her 
 face, misinterpreting my words. 
 
 "Oh, is it finished, then? Have we won? 
 Is Edna driven away for ever?" 
 
 I had to tell her that it was not yet even 
 begun, but that, God willing, I should soon 
 be ready to put my plan to the test. She 
 was disheartened and discouraged at that; 
 it was as if she had gone through an unsuc- 
 cessful operation, she was so exhausted and 
 335 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 fearful, but in the end I succeeded in reas- 
 suring her somewhat, and she was restored 
 to calmness and courage to bear the sus- 
 pense. As soon as she felt better we went 
 outdoors for a while, and the fresh, cool air 
 brought back her spirits. There I told her 
 just what had happened, and what we had 
 to expect. Then, as I had eaten nothing 
 since morning, I went back with her to the 
 dining-room and we had supper with Leah. 
 
 1 'Chester,'' she said, "you've said enough 
 to make me afraid of what you intend to do. 
 I can't yet be sure that we have the right to 
 destroy Edna. And I must be surer that 
 Doctor Copin has betrayed me. I've known 
 him too long to let him go without proving 
 it. I must see him and have a talk with him 
 first ; then, if I am thoroughly convinced, you 
 may go ahead. But I want to know just 
 what it is you intend to do." 
 
 There, at least, I stood firm. "I hope 
 
 you'll never find out," I said. "I intend to 
 
 cut out the cancer that's enough for you to 
 
 know. But, as to the doctor, I'm positively 
 
 336 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 afraid to trust you with him. And yet, it 
 would be well to know just what he's up to. 
 He may come to-morrow morning, too, which 
 will prevent my doing anything, whether it's 
 you or Edna who is here. And I can't risk 
 the chance of being interrupted. He may 
 not come, however, as he'll naturally expect 
 you to be here to-morrow, unless Edna's 
 making faster progress than she has hereto- 
 fore. And even if I could put you to sleep 
 now, Uncle Jerdon's being in the house wil] 
 prevent my acting." 
 
 It was here that Leah put in the first sug- 
 gestion that she had volunteered. 
 
 "Miss Joy," she said, "I have an idea how 
 you might find out what you want to know, 
 and perhaps the doctor's plans as well, if 
 you'd consent to do it. I don't know whether 
 you'll think it's right or not I've been try- 
 ing to decide for myself, but I can't." 
 
 "Let's have it, at any rate," I said. 
 "We've left right and wrong so far behind, 
 now, that they're quite out of sight." 
 
 "If Leah has even thought of it enough 
 337 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 to propose it, I'll take my chances on its be- 
 ing justifiable," Joy added. 
 
 ' l Here it is, then, ' ' said Leah. 1 1 You want 
 /to know what the doctor is doing with Edna 
 and to Edna, don't you?" 
 
 "That's it," said Joy. 
 
 "Then why not pretend to be Edna when 
 he comes?" 
 
 ' ' By Jove ! " I cried. ' ' There 's an idea ! ' ' 
 
 "But I couldn't possibly do it!" Joy ob- 
 jected. 
 
 Leah explained further. "Mr. Castle and 
 I will teach you. We have all night before 
 us, and we'll have to stay up, anyway, to 
 make sure that it is you who meets the doc- 
 tor. During that time you can learn your 
 part. It will be "hard work, but I know you 
 can do it." 
 
 "It will at 1-iast keep us awake," Joy 
 smiled at last. 
 
 "And then, early in the morning, you, as 
 Edna, can telephone to him and ask him to 
 come down." 
 
 "He'll come," I said. "He'll be only too 
 338 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 glad to find that Edna has had two days run- 
 ning." 
 
 Joy began to enter into the humor of the 
 situation. "I'll not have to make up for the 
 part, at least, shall II And Edna's cos- 
 tumes will fit me. But do you think I can 
 really do it?" 
 
 I was convinced that she could. "When 
 you think that he will be predisposed to find 
 you Edna, and how little cause he has to 
 suspect such impersonation, and moreover 
 how much more like you Edna is becoming, 
 I think that there's very little risk," I said. 
 "The best part of the plan is that after it's 
 over the (lector :i likely to go back and he'll 
 be safely out of the way for my experiment." 
 
 "Oh, your experiment! How it terrifies 
 me! What aK) svo doing to that poor girl? 
 What poa?IJbto Crime am I consenting to?" 
 Joy broke (1 ywn again. 
 
 Leah put her hand on Joy's arm and 
 
 looked at her. "You'll do it for my sake, 
 
 Miss Joy?" she pleaded. I knew well 
 
 enough that she was not urging her own dan- 
 
 339 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ger, despite her words. She was desirous 
 only of Joy 's peace but her words had their 
 effect. 
 
 "And for mine," I saw fit to add. The 
 double appeal stilled Joy's protest. 
 
 We began, therefore, to instruct Joy in her 
 part, and I think that she learned more of 
 her secondary self that night than she had 
 known in all the rest of her life put together. 
 It was not easy for her, at first, to abandon 
 herself to the character, and assume the 
 gauclierie that was typical of Edna. It was 
 hardest of all to do what, indeed, I was loath 
 to teach her, the little coquetries and fa- 
 miliarities which I imagined Edna to be in 
 the habit of lavishing upon the doctor. But 
 there was a humor, as well as a pathos, in 
 the play, and occasionally the fun of it over- 
 threw our seriousness. 
 
 So we went over and over the plot that 
 night. Edna's languishing glances, Edna's 
 awkward poses and active gestures, Edna's 
 quick speech and obvious sallies, her impa- 
 tient, pettish whims, all were rehearsed. 
 340 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Joy, becoming gradually interested in doing 
 her best, threw herself into the attempt. 
 Her mimicry of Edna was a strangely con- 
 fusing sight it was like one mirror reflected 
 in another. I took the doctor's part, going 
 through the motions of hypnotizing her, 
 teaching her how to resist while simulating 
 sleep, how to reply, how to awaken from the 
 trance. I prepared her for every complica- 
 tion that I could think of, not forgetting 
 Edna's characteristic treatment of Leah 
 and I think that this part of her acting did 
 more than anything else, through her indig- 
 nation, to stimulate her to do her best on the 
 morrow. 
 
 Besides all this, she was to do whatever 
 occurred to her at the moment, taking her 
 cue from the doctor. She had, I impressed 
 upon her, always the resource at hand of a 
 pretended fainting fit, after which she might 
 plausibly awaken in her real character as 
 Joy. In any case, I surmised that her fail- 
 ure to enact the part consistently would be 
 attributed by him to her primary self's par- 
 341 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 tial projection into consciousness. And, 
 after all, there were, of course, many points 
 of resemblance between the two women, and 
 with moderate care, he would never suspect 
 that she was feigning. It would scarcely 
 have been possible for Edna to have taken 
 the character of Joy. 
 
 It was nearly dawn before we felt that 
 we had gone far enough to be willing to risk 
 her facility; and then, to freshen ourselves 
 up, we went outdoors. The air was cool and 
 invigorating; it was a beautiful night of 
 stars and cloud. About the house the trees 
 waved and rustled. The mass of woods 
 across the garden was black in shadow. I 
 smelt mint mingled with violets. 
 
 I took her arm, but it was she who guided 
 me through the obscurity, knowing every 
 inch of the way through long acquaintance. 
 The dogs awoke and growled as we passed 
 the stable, but instantly relapsed into silence 
 as if aware of the presence of friends. A 
 horse whinnied in his stall. We climbed the 
 hill, Joy feeling for the concavity of the path 
 342 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 with sensitive feet and leading me on ; and 
 at the top we sat down, wrapped a shawl 
 about our shoulders and waited for the day 
 to break. We could hear the dogs barking 
 far away. The second crowing of cocks sent 
 challenges from one distant farm to another ; 
 infinitely remote a railway whistle sounded. 
 After an hour the twittering of birds began, 
 at first in occasional chirps, and finally in a 
 chorus of matutinal gossip. The sky in the 
 east grew pink, then, through red and orange 
 and yellow, to a pale straw color. The limb 
 of the sun pushed through the sea, freed it- 
 self from the horizon and floated up and up, 
 flooding the country with light. 
 
 We walked back to the house, rejuvenated 
 by the fresh air, and had our baths and hot 
 coffee which Leah had ready for us. Joy 
 was full of spirit and courage. The lines 
 about her eyes were softened and her whole 
 figure and bearing expressed determination. 
 At eight o 'clock she said : 
 
 "Well, let's ring up the curtain. I must 
 begin the play. It's time to telephone. I'm 
 343 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 going to tell the first lie I've told, I think, for 
 months. YouVe no idea how unnecessary 
 it has been down here. I'm afraid IVe 
 almost forgotten how to be a woman." 
 
 She got the doctor, and after a short con- 
 versation he promised to come down to Mid- 
 meadows on a train that would land him at 
 the house at ten o'clock. We went over the 
 day's campaign at the breakfast-table, and I 
 gave her my last instructions. At nine 
 o'clock Uncle Jerdon drove up, and I got 
 into the carriage to go to the station, bidding 
 her good-by, for his benefit. 
 
 The old man was loquacious as usual, but 
 offered nothing in regard to affairs at Mid- 
 meadows. He commented upon the crops 
 and the state of every farm we passed, with- 
 out ever touching upon Miss Fielding's con- 
 dition. If this were his custom with every 
 one, no man could be safer to have about the 
 premises, but I had an idea he was more 
 communicative with the doctor. At any 
 rate, it had seemed best to me to make him 
 believe that I was going up to town. 
 344 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I had already prepared the plan by which 
 I was to outwit them both. The Tip-train 
 came into the station first, while the down- 
 train waited on a siding for it to pass. All 
 I had to do was to bid Uncle Jerdon good- 
 by, get into the smoking-car, and, as it pulled 
 out, drop off the step and dodge quickly be- 
 hind a woodpile beside the track. Here I 
 waited, peeping over the top till the down- 
 train had gone and I saw Doctor Copin get 
 into the carriage to drive off with Uncle Jer- 
 don. Then I walked leisurely back to Mid- 
 meadows, went into the cabin and waited 
 with what patience I could. 
 
 I had to stay from ten till two o'clock, be- 
 fore I saw the carriage go back with its pas- 
 senger. That wait had been long, but it was 
 not so anxious a time as I had spent before, 
 for I knew that Joy would be quite able to 
 cope with the situation. But I was relieved 
 to see the carriage go back, and left the cabin 
 the moment the vehicle was out of sight. 
 
 I had gone only half-way up the lane when 
 I saw Joy coming to meet me. She looked 
 345 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 tired and pale. She ran to my arms and 
 kissed me. 
 
 "Oh, he's infamous!" she cried. "I 
 never would have believed it of him!" 
 
 "He didn't suspect you, then?" I asked 
 anxiously. 
 
 "Suspect? No, he was too busy with his 
 own machinations for that. Chester, if you 
 had been there, I think you would have killed 
 him! And I acted how I acted! I got 
 more and more in a rage, and I led him on 
 with every bit of cunning I had till I had 
 found out his worst. Oh, it was vile ! ' ' 
 
 I tried to hide my own rising fury. 
 "What happened?" I demanded. 
 
 "Oh, I can't tell you! Let me try to for- 
 get it ! Ee did everything that we have sus- 
 pected, and more ! I let him borrow money 
 of me I permitted his familiarities and his 
 vulgarity as long as I could endure it I lis- 
 tened to all his schemes. Why, Chester, 
 d'you know, he is trying to destroy me, and 
 make her take my place permanently? He 
 hasn't a scruple! He's after my money, 
 346 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 and, worst of all, after me! It's incredible. 
 Oh, if you can't outwit him, I'm lost!" 
 
 "There's only one sure way, now, to foil 
 him, Joy. You must marry me this after- 
 noon!" 
 
 "I thought of that, too," she said, "and I 
 think I'm ready. This forenoon has opened 
 my eyes to the danger. If you say so, we '11 
 go over to the Harbor. Oh, Chester, can you 
 really marry such a mutilated, enslaved per- 
 son as I am?" 
 
 "I am going to free you," I said, still 
 holding her close. 
 
 "And Edna " she broke away to look at 
 me fearfully. "What will you do with 
 Edna?" 
 
 "To-morrow there will, I hope, no longer 
 be such a person." 
 
 "Then shan't we wait till to-morrow!" 
 
 "You forget," I said, "that, at his first 
 opportunity, it is possible for him to marry 
 her! The risk is too great!" 
 
 "That settles it come to the house and 
 we'll get Leah!" 
 
 347 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 My hopes reached to the skies, then, and 
 I was sure that I could conquer anything and 
 everything that stood between me and the 
 fulfilment of her rescue. With the surren- 
 der, she, too, gave herself up completely to 
 the occasion. We took hands and raced up 
 the lane like two children. In that moment 
 I got a fresh glimpse of what sort of person 
 Joy really was, when she was free. Edna's 
 galumphing was not more gay and aban- 
 doned, Edna's laugh never rang oui more 
 merrily. When we burst into the house I 
 think that Leah, for a moment, thought we 
 had both gone mad. 
 
 We did not even wait for Uncle Jerdon to 
 return with the carriage. I went out to see 
 that my motor-car was in order, while Joy, 
 laughing with Leah so gaily that I could hear 
 them even from the stable, prepared for the 
 trip. 
 
 Joy threw up her window, to call out: 
 " Chester, I want that little chain Edna gave 
 you ! I must have * something old and some- 
 thing new, something borrowed, something 
 348 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 blue'!" I knew, then, that the last trace of 
 feeling at that incident had disappeared. 
 
 She came down all in white hat, veil, 
 gown, gloves, stockings, shoes, parasol. 
 Leah, too, was dressed for the occasion, mod- 
 estly, as usual; for, though she could well 
 have carried off a modish toilet, she always 
 shrank from being in the least conspicuous, 
 as if fearing to compromise Joy by appear- 
 ing to assume a social equality. She was in 
 a frock of ecru linen, just severe enough in 
 its trim design to keep her place with Joy's 
 bewitching laces and flounces and chiffon. I 
 myself made a sorry-looking bridegroom, I 
 fear, for I had found something to do under 
 the belly of my machine, and the employment 
 did the only costume I had little good. 
 
 So, bidding King good-by, we were off with 
 enthusiasm. Even Leah had caught the in- 
 fection of our high spirits for a moment 
 the tension had been let down all along the 
 line. Leah had, indeed, much reason to be 
 happy. She had implicit confidence in my 
 ability to frustrate the doctor 's plans, she 
 349 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 saw herself now safe with Joy, she antici- 
 pated for her mistress a new beatitude. Un- 
 der the influence of this, I noticed that she 
 lapsed, for the first time in my experience, 
 partly into a negro dialect. It was the more 
 remarkable and significant because I had 
 seen her under the stress of fear and horror, 
 and neither had affected her speech. It 
 showed me how rare perfect happiness had 
 been in her life, that this glint of joy should 
 break the bonds of her speech and unloose 
 the tongue of her girlhood. Both Joy and I 
 laughed freely at her, and she herself 
 laughed with us. 
 
 We raced madly for the Harbor, sought 
 the Methodist minister there, went into his 
 cool prim front parlor, were introduced to 
 his wife who had that day enough to gossip 
 about, I'll warrant and the thing was done 
 in ten minutes. Then we piled happily into 
 the car and pelted home. 
 
 Joy looked at me with new eyes. "You've 
 done it, haven't you?" 
 
 "You bet I have!" 
 350 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "How did you ever manage it! I thought 
 I had refused you! 7 ' 
 
 "I don't understand it myself. It just 
 happened. It had to he. ' ' 
 
 "You ought to be a highwayman!" 
 
 "It's partly your fault, you know!" 
 
 "And I've known you only a month! 
 How reckless! It must have been that in- 
 corrigible, irresistible, unexpected, unkissed 
 nick in your chin ! I've gone from new moon 
 to full, at a bound! Now I'm a bride-ram- 
 pant: I could fight my way to you through 
 eight miles of jungle ! Was I pretty, Leah I ' ' 
 She turned and held out her hand. 
 
 " 'Deed you were, Miss Joy, honey, I never 
 see you' beat!" 
 
 How she laughed! "And you were the 
 sweetest bridesmaid, too! See her eyes, 
 Chester, please look round! Never mind if 
 we do run into a tree, to-day. Did you ever 
 see such hidden depths of gold as are be- 
 neath her eyes? Isn't that color and outline 
 perfect? There's no wildfire or heroics 
 about Leah, but she's got more brains than 
 351 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 both of us put together! And she's got a 
 southern accent now, that you couldn't dissi- 
 pate with an electric battery. Leah, you're 
 as beautiful as a jaguar! Can't you go 
 faster, chauffeur, dear? I'd rather eat fly- 
 paper than ride in a slow automobile ! Say, 
 it's awfully stimulating to get married, isn't 
 it? I'm going to do it all the time, after 
 this." 
 
 I leaned over to kiss her, and we nearly 
 ran into the depot-wagon on its way from 
 the train. We were followed by two dozen 
 eyes till we were hidden by a turn of the 
 road. 
 
 So her brain coined as we sped along, 
 shrieking with laughter. But Joy's frolic 
 mood subsided as we approached Midmead- 
 ows. She looked at me plaintively and said : 
 
 "The idea of the White Cat's being mar- 
 ried before she's had her head and tail cut 
 off!" 
 
 "Oh, that'll be done before you know it!" 
 I said. "What I'm thinking is that now 
 Doctor Copin will never be allowed at Mid- 
 352 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 meadows again, if I have to keep him out by 
 force. With him out of the way, we can 
 manage the rest. But no more of that now. 
 It's our wedding day! We ought to have 
 told King to bake a cake ! ' ' 
 
 We had quieted down enough by supper- 
 time to talk the matter over calmly and plan 
 for to-morrow. The time had, queerly 
 enough, more the effect of parting than the 
 beginning of a new and happy life. Joy 
 grew wistful and distraite as the evening 
 wore on. I would not let her talk of "the 
 murder, ' ' as she called it, and I tried to keep 
 her mind from returning to the mystery of 
 Edna's presence. Finally she said: 
 
 "Chester, I'd like to send her a message. 
 Just think, I've never had any communica- 
 tion with her!" 
 
 "It will do no good," I replied. 
 
 "It will do no harm," she insisted. "I 
 may never have another chance. I'm going 
 to write a note for you to give her, if she 
 comes to-morrow. Will you?" 
 
 I said that of course I would, and she sat 
 353 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 down at her secretary and, after thinking a 
 few minutes, biting her pen, she wrote this : 
 
 DEAR EDNA : What has brought us together we 
 can never know. But it is terrible to me to think 
 that, being so closely and mysteriously related, we 
 could not have been friends. For all you have 
 done to me and mine, I forgive you, and somewhere 
 and somehow I hope that you will forgive me for 
 everything I have done to you. 
 
 JOY FIELDING. 
 
 It was the first specimen I had happened 
 to see of Joy's handwriting, and was, as she 
 had said, quite different from Edna's. It 
 was bold and flowing, sharply slanted and 
 graceful, the hand of a fast writer and a 
 quick thinker. I put the note into my pocket 
 to give to-morrow to Edna. I should but 
 pass it back to the same hands that had writ- 
 ten it, it would be read by the same eyes that 
 saw it now but I could guess with what 
 scorn and anger it would be received. 
 
 Joy bade me good night with a tremor in 
 her voice, gave me a long, clinging kiss, and 
 looked up into my eyes. 
 354 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "I'm not really your wife yet, you know, 
 Chester," she said. 
 
 " 'Come slowly, Eden,' " I quoted. 
 
 "And I may never be " The tears filled i 
 her eyes. 
 
 "Do you think I shall fail, after to-day?" 
 I said. 
 
 "I still have my revolver, if you do. Ee- 
 member the White Cat, and your promise!" 
 
 "That's a sad thought for a wedding- 
 night ! I 'm going to save you ! ' ' 
 
 "Poor Edna!" she said, releasing herself. 
 Then, as if she thought it unwifely to leave 
 me sorrowful, she flashed a smile at me, 
 waved her hand, and ran up-stairs. 
 
 355 
 
m 
 
 I have said so much of my "plan" that it 
 is now quite time to explain it, for it was of 
 the simplest. Many of the recorded cases 
 of multiple personality, or rather, according 
 to a more modern interpretation of the state, 
 dissociated personality, had arisen, I found, 
 from a shock, sometimes purely physical, 
 sometimes mental. It was my idea that in 
 Miss Fielding's case the process might he 
 reversed that I might inhibit her secondary 
 self by some violent excitement. A long 
 process of hypnotic treatment might, I knew, 
 effect a cure more or less stable, but the doc- 
 tor's superior knowledge and, heretofore, his 
 superior advantages, had made me doubt of 
 succeeding in that way. To take her to any 
 competent specialist was inexpedient, for the 
 356 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 reason that we should meet with a steady op- 
 position from Edna, who could do much to 
 make such a course impossible. 
 
 The means I intended to employ were, I 
 must confess, brutal; I intended to frighten 
 Edna to within an inch of her life to 
 frighten her, that is, so that she might be 
 afraid to reappear. This explanation is su- 
 perficial, but it conveys the idea ; what really 
 would happen, I thought, was that Joy would 
 ' ' wake up" and resume permanently her nor- 
 mal condition. I was not competent to ex- 
 plain the rationale of it ; I trusted, in a way, 
 to the mere reversion of the processes that 
 had been described in similar cases of disin- 
 tegrated personalities. 
 
 Exactly how to accomplish this end I was 
 not yet decided, save that I had prepared 
 myself with a pair of revolvers and blank 
 cartridges ; I left the actual operation to the 
 inspiration of the moment, taking advantage 
 of the circumstances. I knew that the men- 
 tal shock must be severe, and that the tension 
 should be prolonged almost to the breaking 
 357 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 point. In some way or other it would come 
 to threatening her life. In my mind it was 
 like deliberately breaking a badly-set bone 
 that it might heal again aright. So desper- 
 ate a remedy I had not wanted to describe 
 to Joy, nor did I ever expect to tell her, even 
 should her cure be effected. 
 
 Of the cruelty to Edna, I had no thought. 
 I knew no other way of accomplishing what 
 I desired, and my sympathies, naturally, 
 were entirely with Joy. She alone, surely, 
 had a right to exist in that fair body. See- 
 ing that I could not settle the ethical con- 
 siderations involved, and that they only 
 impaired my will, I cast them aside. I offer 
 no other excuse for my conduct. It .seemed 
 expedient, in fact the only thing that would be 
 effectual, in ridding my wife of her incubus. 
 If it were wrong, well, I would take the 
 blame. I have never been able to settle the 
 question in my own mind, even yet. 
 
 She slept late the next morning. I was 
 down-stairs when she rang for Leah, and so 
 heard nothing, but it was. no surprise to me 
 358 
 

 THE WHITE CAT 
 
 when, a few minutes later, Leah came down 
 and said: 
 
 " It's Edna/' 
 
 The fight was on. I was now prepared to 
 undertake (as it would certainly seem to a 
 spectator) to torture my wife of a day half 
 to death. I shall not attempt to describe my 
 own feelings as I anticipated the prospect. 
 
 "Has she tried to telephone!" I asked. 
 My voice, I imagine, was now like that of a 
 surgeon at an operation asking his assistant 
 for a knife. 
 
 "No, "said Leah. 
 
 "Hurry up, then. You must manage to 
 overhear what she says, if possible. I must 
 know whether the doctor's coming or not. 
 Have you sent Uncle Jerdon away?" 
 
 "He's harnessing up to go to the Harbor, 
 and he'll be gone all the forenoon." 
 
 "Good." 
 
 She went into the kitchen and prepared 
 
 Edna's breakfast, while I crept up-stairs and 
 
 listened to hear in case she telephoned. As 
 
 soon as Leah went up with the breakfast tray, 
 
 359 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I went down again and walked into the 
 kitchen. 
 
 "King," I said, looking square at the 
 Chinaman, "to-day I'm going to drive the 
 devil out of Miss Fielding. You sabbee?" 
 
 He grinned very good-naturedly. "Yep, 
 I sabbee," he answered, paring his potatoes 
 calmly. 
 
 ' ' Maybe I make heap noise. You sabbee ? ' ' 
 
 "Yep, I sabbee !" again. 
 
 "You no mind me, King? You not be 
 frightened?" 
 
 He laughed and said: "Aw, no ! I no care. 
 Maybe I come help. I sabbee debbil all 
 light!" 
 
 "No, I won't need your help, King. I can 
 do it alone, I think. All I want, you stay 
 here, and not be frightened." 
 
 "Aw, I no flighten'. What's a-inatter? 
 You no think so?" 
 
 "Well, you don't know anything about it. 
 Sabbee ? You must keep quiet, sure. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, I sabbee all light. Maybe somebody 
 ask me, I say, 'I not know!' I sabbee. I say, 
 360 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 'You go-to-hell!' he-he!" He laughed to 
 himself. "You heap good man, you all light, 
 sure. Dlive away debbil, tha's all. Wha's 
 a -matter? You no sabbee me? Aw?" He 
 turned away in scorn at my distrust. 
 
 I was pretty sure that I could trust to his 
 imperturbability, and returned to the library 
 satisfied, leaving King still chuckling inanely 
 to himself. 
 
 In a moment Leah came down again and 
 said hurriedly to me : 
 
 "She's just telephoned. She said noth- 
 ing about yesterday, or that you were here! 
 He must have said he wasn't coming down to- 
 day, or at least not this morning, for she 
 tried to tease him to come. She's all dressed 
 up it's astonishing I can't tell you!" 
 She left me and immediately afterward I 
 heard Edna 's footsteps on the stairs. 
 
 For what reason she had dressed herself 
 so extravagantly whether from sheer wilful 
 fancy, or a desire to tantalize me or to se- 
 duce me from my fondness of Joy I have 
 never decided. She wore an evening gown 
 361 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 of gold tissue, sheer as gossamer, fold on 
 fold, embroidered with gold threads all over 
 the low-necked corsage. About her forehead 
 was a garland of gold laurel leaves, beauti- 
 fully modeled and tooled, interlaced with a 
 slender string of coral beads. Her arms 
 were bare. On her right breast was a red 
 velvet rose, she had stockings of scarlet silk 
 and golden slippers. It was a costume for a 
 fancy-dress ball and had indeed been origi- 
 nally made for that purpose. To see her ap- 
 pear, now, and shine in the morning sunlight 
 like a butterfly, was to see something as ex- 
 traordinary as it was picturesque. 
 
 She came to me with all Joy's grace, and 
 held out her hand, laughing. 
 
 "So you're here again after all, Chet," she 
 said. "I thought I'd dress up for you. 
 You've never seen me to advantage. How; 
 do you like it?" She turned slowly round 
 for my benefit. 
 
 "You're an empress!" I exclaimed. "I 
 don't deserve this honor!" 
 362 
 

 THE WHITE CAT 
 
 She began dancing a minuet all alone, 
 speaking as she swirled. 
 
 "Indeed you don't! I didn't want you 
 here yesterday, really. But now you've come 
 down again, you'd better stay." She 
 curtsied demurely. "But look out for the 
 doc tor!" She was off again in a circle. 
 "I suppose it was Joy who invited you ! I'll 
 have to entertain Joy's guest, I suppose. 
 There! Now sit down and talk to me." 
 
 What was behind her whimsical mood, and 
 why she so willingly received me, I could not 
 guess. When I had taken a seat she tapped 
 me with her fan and said : 
 
 "You know I've always liked you, Chet, 
 but you see the doctor thought it wasn't best 
 for me to have you about. Eeally, I oughtn't 
 to let you stay now. He'd be perfectly 
 furious, you know. He thought you had gone 
 up to town. You must hide, if he comes." 
 
 "Trust me for that," I said. 
 
 "So Joy wants you to come?" she con- 
 tinued. "I suppose you'd never come down 
 363 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 just to see me! You must tell me about Joy. 
 Is she nice?" 
 
 "She's lovely. Oh, you'd love her, Edna. 
 It 's a pity you can 't know her. It would save 
 so much trouble ! ' ' 
 
 "Oh, are you in love with her, then?" 
 
 "I'm very fond of her!" 
 
 She slapped her fan viciously and bit her 
 lip. Then: 
 
 "I'm sure you like her much better than 
 you do me, anyway don't you?" 
 
 "I know her better than I do you, Edna, 
 and she has always been nice to me." 
 
 "And haven't II Didn't I dress up for 
 you, sir?" 
 
 "I have a letter to you from her would 
 you like to read it?" 
 
 She held out her hand for it instantly, and 
 I gave her the note. She glanced it over, 
 then tore it up spitefully. 
 
 "Cat!" she exclaimed. "If I could only 
 
 see her, if I could only talk to her once! I'd 
 
 tell her what I thought of her! Oh, I'll give 
 
 her something to forgive!" She looked 
 
 364 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 about her, as if for something particularly 
 Joy's upon which to vent her anger. 
 
 Just then, as luck would have it, Leah en- 
 tered the room with a vase of flowers. 
 
 "Get out of here, you black hussy !" Edna 
 cried. "Don't you see I'm busy? Your 
 place is in the kitchen !" 
 
 Leah turned and left without a word. 
 
 "I've stood enough from that nigger," 
 Edna said. "I'm going to get rid of her this 
 very day." 
 
 "You said you'd keep her as long as I 
 stayed," I interposed. 
 
 "Oh, Joy asked you to plead for her, I 
 suppose! You're only here hoping to get a 
 chance to see Joy, anyway ! How did you get 
 in yesterday, anyway! What happened! 
 I'd forgotten all about that! What did I do 
 in the evening! I can't remember. Were 
 you here then, with Joy!" 
 
 "You fainted away at the dinner- 
 table " 
 
 1 1 So you had your evening with Joy all 
 right ! Oh, what do you care for me ! Noth- 
 365 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ing! You hate me, I believe!" The next 
 moment she was crying, but, before I could 
 assuage her, she had risen abruptly and run 
 up-stairs. 
 
 I passed quickly into the kitchen and spoke 
 to Leah. 
 
 "Has Uncle Jerdon gone?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Then keep out of the way as much as 
 possible. I'm almost ready." 
 
 I went up to my own room and took the re- 
 volvers from my hand-bag and loaded them 
 with the blank cartridges. Scarcely had I 
 slipped the weapons into my pocket when 
 Edna burst into the room with her arms full 
 of dresses. She held out the pale green silk 
 peignoir in which I had first seen Miss Field- 
 ing. 
 
 "Does Joy wear this?" she asked. 
 
 "Yes, sometimes," I answered. 
 
 "Well," she said, "she never will fascinate 
 
 you in it again!" And with a single violent 
 
 gesture, she ripped it from top to bottom. 
 
 She took up another gown and tore that in 
 
 366 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 two, also. She had begun on a third when I 
 went up to her and stopped her hand. 
 
 "Edna, you mustn't!' 7 1 commanded. 
 
 She threw the whole heap upon the floor; 
 and clasped her bare arms about my neck. 
 "Oh, I hate her! I hate her!" she wept. 
 "You are in love with her, Chet, you know 
 you are ! What have I done that you should 
 hate me so? You know how I like you 
 why don't you love me a little?" 
 
 "Aren't you engaged to the doctor?" I 
 asked, letting her stay with her face near 
 mine. It did not seem wrong it was Joy's 
 own face. 
 
 "Oh, I suppose I am, but what does that 
 matter? 'Mayn't I like you, too? He's the 
 only friend I have. He's helping me ! He's 
 trying to free me! What are you doing? 
 Are you helping me, Chet?" 
 
 It was hard enough to answer her question. 
 What could I say? Somehow, even now, I 
 could not lie to her outright not while look- 
 ing deep into Joy's own eyes. 
 
 "If you had shown any mercy to Joy, if 
 367 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 you even desired to be friends with her, I 
 might try to save you," I said. "But after 
 this, how can IV 9 
 
 "Oh, I'll be friends with her I'll do any- 
 thing if you'll only love me, Chet! Why 
 can't we both love you? I'll promise not to 
 be jealous; we'll share you. If you marry 
 her, then you'll have me, too, and I'll have 
 you!" 
 
 She looked up at me with wistful eyes 
 Joy's eyes and Joy's arms were still about 
 me. Never had Joy clung to me so closely 
 and tenderly. It was all I could do to put her 
 away and answer her preposterous sugges- 
 tion. 
 
 "But you're engaged to the doctor he 
 told me so " 
 
 "I'll break it off with him I won't have 
 anything more to do with him I '11 telephone 
 to him now ! ' ' She even started to go to her 
 room. 
 
 I was in a tumult of emotion. How could 
 I begin my work when she acted in this way 
 as I had least expected? True, I knew 
 368 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 that probably in a moment her fickle mood 
 would change, but I could not begin yet. I 
 held her back. 
 
 "You know," I said, "that the doctor is 
 plotting to get rid of Joy for ever. You 
 know, and I know, that that is the way he's 
 been trying to help you. How can I care for 
 you, when I know that is your purpose?" 
 God knows I loathed myself for the hypoc- 
 risy, but I was at my wits' end. 
 
 She stopped and looked at me reproach- 
 fully. "Ah, you are in love with her, then! 
 I thought so! She's everything, and I'm 
 nothing to you!" 
 
 She flung away again in a new rage and 
 walked proudly, scornfully down-stairs. I 
 followed her. Just before I caught up with 
 her, I heard her angry voice ring out. 
 
 "Oh, you sneak! Didn't I tell you to stay 
 in the kitchen? Take that for your imperti- 
 nence, you wench ! ' ' 
 
 There was the sound of a blow and a 
 scream. I ran in and found Leah with her 
 face bleeding. Edna, gorgeous in her silken 
 369 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 gown, stood lowering like a furious queen, a 
 heavy bronze paper-weight in her hand. 
 
 "You pack out of this house immediately ! " 
 she cried, her voice strident with passion. 
 "I've had enough of your tricks! I want 
 you to know I'm mistress here!" 
 
 Leah appealed to me with a glance. I 
 nodded, pointing behind Edna's back, out- 
 doors, to the old cabin. Leah disappeared, 
 weeping. I went up to Edna. 
 
 "Do you expect me to love you when you 
 act in this cruel way?" I asked in a quiet 
 tone. 
 
 She stormed up and down, striding like a 
 leopard in a cage, swishing this way and that, 
 her fists firmly clenched. 
 
 "Oh, she's in league with you and Joy. I 
 know all about it ! She spies on me hides 
 things from me tells on me! She and you 
 are trying your best to get rid of me the 
 doctor said so ! You are plotting to destroy 
 me right now!" she flashed out, turning to 
 me, her lips quivering with excitement, 
 can tell! I know! You may go, too, Mr. 
 370 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Castle, I'm through with you, too! Leave 
 this house, please!" 
 
 I tried to pacify her, thinking that, dis- 
 traught with the violent moods she had shown 
 to-day, a reaction would soon come. She 
 was almost hysterical, and I waited for the 
 revulsion of feeling, without heeding her 
 words. In a moment it came. It was as if 
 an angel and a devil were contending in her 
 for the mastery, but the angel won again. 
 
 She sat down limply in a chair that was 
 drawn up to the secretary, and the tears 
 came to her eyes. I saw Leah go out the 
 front door and hurry down the lane. 
 
 "Oh, I'm so wretched !" Edna complained 
 bitterly. "I haven't a friend not even 
 Doctor Copin. All he wants is my money, 
 and all you want is Joy. Oh, Chet, let me 
 be your friend! Let me be your friend 
 you may stay I'll be good, sure I will! I'll 
 do anything if you'll only love me and be 
 good to me ! I'll take Leah back; I'll dismiss 
 the doctor. Why was I sent here, anyway? 
 Nobody wants me, nobody cares for me!" 
 371 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 She looked up at me and held out her 
 hand. It was the stricken deer appealing 
 for protection to the hunters. I had never 
 seen her so gentle and tender. It was, for 
 the moment, as if Joy herself were pleading 
 for her life. 
 
 As I stood there, watching her, debating 
 what to do, her head dropped to her left 
 hand. With her right she had taken up a 
 pencil which lay there, and was abstractedly 
 making marks upon the blotter circles and 
 crosses and zigzag scrawls. But, even as she 
 turned to me again, her eyes softened, I saw 
 her right hand move more regularly over 
 the paper blotter. She was writing, and 
 writing automatically, without looking at 
 what she was doing. A sudden idea came to 
 me that the writing was inspired by some sub- 
 conscious, subliminal self and I must let it 
 have free play, that I must divert her thought 
 from that hand. 
 
 So I walked up to her and touched her 
 head, stroking her soft, brown hair. "Poor 
 372 
 
THE .WHITE CAT 
 
 girl!" I said; "I wish I could answer your 
 questions; I wish I might help you. Per- 
 haps we can think out a way. We'll talk 
 it over and see." 
 
 Her hand was still writing, as she looked 
 up at me and listened. 
 
 "But you must tell me all about the doc- 
 tor, and what he is doing. Is he coming 
 
 down here to-day?" 
 
 
 She leaned affectionately against my side, 
 her hand still working unconsciously. "I 
 don't know," she said. "He may come on 
 the eleven o'clock train, perhaps." 
 
 This was unexpected. I had little time, 
 then, in which to act. But now her hand had 
 stopped, and I bent over her shoulder to look 
 at the blotter. 
 
 She turned her face to me again and said : 
 "Won't you please kiss me, Chet? You've 
 never kissed me! I'm sure you've kissed 
 Joy!" 
 
 Then, following my glance, she saw the 
 writing for the first time. "Oh, how 
 373 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 funny!" she cried. "I've been writing! I 
 didn't know it. What is it, anyway?" 
 Then she read aloud : 
 
 " 'Don't hesitate! Cut off my head and 
 my tail! Hurry! White Cat.' 
 
 "How absurd!" she commented. "See, it 
 isn't my handwriting at all! It isn't any- 
 thing like it. But it's like it's Joy's!" she 
 burst out, and she jumped up, staring at me. 
 "What does it mean?" 
 
 I had recognized the handwriting at the 
 same instant, and was as surprised as she. 
 
 "It's Joy's!" she repeated, her voice now 
 almost a scream. "Oh, but she is a cat! I 
 believe she's trying to get rid of me. She 
 wants you to kill me! Tell me, Chet, what 
 does it mean?" 
 
 I didn't answer, for the shock of this com- 
 munication bewildered me. It was like the 
 voice of a ghost, urging me. It was Joy, 
 calling up from Edna's subconsciousness. I 
 was sure of it. 
 
 "It's Joy!" she cried a third time as she 
 got the meaning, too. "She's trying to call 
 374 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 yon, through me! She loves you, and you 
 love her. I knew it! You're trying to mur- 
 der me! But I'll not let her have you! I'll 
 kill you first!" 
 
 She stood with her little fists doubled, shak- 
 ing with fury, her nostrils dilated, her cheeks 
 gone white, her lips apart, showing the little 
 uneven line of clenched teeth. The strap of 
 her gown had fallen partly off, leaving one 
 smooth, creamy shoulder bare, the golden 
 wreath of laurel was tipped sidewise in her 
 hair. 
 
 Then, in a quick whirlwind of passion, she 
 snatched the silver-handled poker by the fire- 
 place, raised it, and struck at me with all her 
 strength. Slight as she was, and weak, or- 
 dinarily, her emotion gave her an unnatural 
 power. The blow grazed my cheek, plowing 
 a deep, ragged furrow through the skin. I 
 grabbed the weapon from her, and she stood 
 defiantly before me, blazing in all her finery. 
 
 The time had at last come to act. 
 
 375 
 
I may well say "act," for it was acting 
 that was now necessary. I smarted from her 
 blow, I saw in her a vicious, dangerous fury, 
 with a devil snarling in her, but I had noth- 
 ing but pity for her. How could I be angry? 
 She was desperate, but it was the frenzy of 
 an irresponsible spirit that uiged her. And, 
 moreover, she stood in my own bride 's image, 
 beautiful, splendid, virile. She was, in out- 
 ward seeming, the woman I loved best in all 
 the world. I had, I insist, nothing but the 
 tenderest pity for her whom I must now, if 
 I had the power, harry, harass, torment and 
 destroy. But to accomplish this I had to play 
 a part. I could show no trace of kindness 
 or consideration. So I nerved myself and 
 simulated rage when never was rage further 
 from my heart. 
 
 "Oh, you would, would you!" I cried 
 376 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 through my teeth, as villains do upon the 
 stage. "Well, then, Miss Edna, it's time to 
 talk honestly to you. I am in love with Joy, 
 and I do hate you with all my heart! I 
 would free Joy if I could, but you and the 
 doctor are too much for us. I know what 
 she's had to endure from him in your own 
 person and her own, and rather than let her 
 go through that outrage again, rather than 
 let his lips touch hers, whether you consent 
 or not, I'll kill you both. I can't touch her, 
 for I love her, but I'm going to kill you, 
 now ! ' ' 
 
 With that I drew a revolver from my 
 pocket and took steady aim at her. Oh, I 
 gave her time ! The one thing I was afraid 
 of, then, was that she would dare me to shoot. 
 Luckily her nerve failed her. 
 
 She screamed and ran to the door like a 
 deer. She screamed as she dashed up-stairs, 
 tripping over her gown, calling wildly for 
 Leah to come and save her. She screamed 
 again and again as, giving her ample time to 
 escape, I followed after her, shooting once, 
 377 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 twice, thrice, stumbling up after her, mut- 
 tering histrionic curses. There was no doubt 
 that I had frightened her ! But could I keep 
 it up till she was literally beside herself with 
 terror? 
 
 " Break the bone and let it heal right 
 again !" I kept repeating to myself. But to 
 break it ugh ! I shuddered and nerved my- 
 self again. 
 
 She had run into her room, slammed the 
 door and locked it. I threw myself upon it 
 and beat upon the panels with my hands. 
 Again she screamed the sound sickened me. 
 I cried out that I would kill her, that there 
 was no use in resisting, that I would break 
 down the door. I shouted hoarsely enough, 
 there was no need of pretending, now. 
 
 She came to the door and wailed. 
 
 1 'Spare me!" she cried. "Save me, Chet! 
 You were wounded and fainting when I took 
 you into my house. Didn't I do everything 
 for you? How can you! How can you! 
 What have I done?" 
 
 I fired again to stop her. I couldn't stand 
 378 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 that reproach. Her screams broke out again. 
 I could hear her overthrowing tables and 
 piling them madly in front of the door. 
 
 Then her shrieks stopped suddenly, and 
 I heard her running here and there as if 
 searching for something. I heard drawers 
 pulled open and emptied upon the floor, I 
 heard chairs falling. Then there was an in- 
 stant's lull. 
 
 Next, a muffled shot rang out. A bullet 
 ripped through the panel of the door and 
 buried itself in the mahogany wainscoting, 
 missing my head by barely an inch. She had 
 found her revolver I had forgotten about 
 that. The game was getting serious. 
 
 But now it was more necessary than ever 
 to finish. I went down into the hall and 
 shouted to King. He appeared at the din- 
 ing-room door, his eyes as round as glass 
 marbles, his mouth open. 
 
 "Get an ax, King, and bring it up here, 
 quick!" 
 
 I went up again and, putting my pistol 
 cautiously to the hole in the panel, fired an- 
 379 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 other blank cartridge. My shot was imme- 
 diately answered by her revolver, but the 
 bullet went wild. 
 
 King came blundering up the stairs with 
 the ax, showing a white mouthful of teeth. 
 I had never thought it possible for him to 
 show so much excitement, but he was quite 
 wild. I took the ax and struck a heavy blow 
 at the panel, splitting it open. Had I really 
 wished to break down the door immediately, 
 I would have aimed at the lock. But I 
 wanted to draw her fire, and to torture her 
 to the limit of suspense and fear. 
 
 She screamed again as the wood was ripped 
 into splinters, and two more shots were fired 
 in quick succession, only one of them going 
 through the door. She had spent four car- 
 tridges now, and, as she held the last one, I 
 had to act quickly so that she would have no 
 chance to reload. 
 
 "You go down-stairs, King," I com- 
 manded. "Wait for her when she runs out. 
 I'll chase her outdoors. She has only one 
 shot left, so you needn't be afraid of her. 
 380 
 
She was handsome terrible. Page 381 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 I'll get that bullet, all right. Scream at her, 
 scare her to death if you can, but don't touch 
 her. If you do, by God, I '11 kill you ! ' ' 
 
 He stole noiselessly down the stairs and 
 disappeared. I tried another panel with the 
 ax, but, as she was clever enough not to shoot, 
 I reloaded my first pistol, and, taking what 
 risk there was without thought, I seized the 
 ax again and with one fierce blow smashed 
 the lock to pieces. With the concussion the 
 door fell partly in. I dropped the ax, put 
 my shoulder to the door and swept the bar- 
 ricade inward, darting quickly through with 
 my pistol raised. 
 
 She was handsome terrible. Frightened 
 as she was, she had control of herself yet, 
 and was magnificently defiant, breathing in 
 quick gasps with her mouth open, her bosom 
 heaving, as if she were suffocating. Her 
 embroidered waist was half torn off and hung 
 away from her neck, revealing her brown- 
 white breast, or perhaps she had torn the 
 bodice open herself for air. Her golden 
 wreath was gone. I saw it on the floor, 
 381 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 trampled out of shape. Her hair had fallen 
 over her shoulders, but its disarray was 
 lovely. Her filmy, sparkling gown was rent 
 and spotted from her falls. 
 
 She had taken refuge behind an overthrown 
 table and stood with her revolver ready. 
 Over her head was a drifting cloud of smoke, 
 about her a wild confusion of disordered 
 furniture. A shaft of sunlight played upon 
 her disheveled costume. In the stable, I 
 heard the dogs barking frantically. 
 
 So much I observed in one flash the pic- 
 ture will always be with me as distinct as 
 a photograph but I had no time to speak, 
 or even to think what I should do next, for, 
 after that momentary pause, she bent for- 
 ward deliberately and fired at me point- 
 blank. 
 
 I felt a sting on my left arm where her 
 bullet grazed, but, without stopping to 
 find whether I was hurt or not, I fired with 
 both pistols at once, and went forward at 
 her. The sound of the double shot in the 
 closed room was terrific. Her eyes, staring 
 382 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 and fascinated, kept on me for an instant as if 
 she were paralyzed, then she screamed again 
 her voice rivaled the pistol shots and, 
 suddenly pushing the table with all her might 
 against me, she ran for the door. As she 
 passed, I shot again. The din was madden- 
 ing. 
 
 It was not my intention to finish with her 
 there, though, and again I gave her a chance 
 to escape, driving her before me. As she 
 dashed out she brushed against a framed 
 Madonna upon the wall and it came crashing 
 down. She stumbled on the threshold I 
 thought she would never get away and, 
 moaning pitifully, she half ran, half fell 
 down the stairway. 
 
 It was a dirty piece of business. I was 
 sickened by it. But, having gone so far, I 
 had no thought of stopping till I had ac- 
 complished my object. I gave her a mo- 
 ment 's time, therefore, and then, leaving that 
 horrid smoking chaos in her room, I followed 
 her. 
 
 She had gone out the front door and 
 383 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 turned the corner of the house, making, by 
 some fatal impulse, for the stable. The bark- 
 ing of the collies had ceased, but as I got to 
 the yard I heard it recommence in a higher 
 and more violent key. It seemed incredible 
 to me that she had sought refuge in the 
 stable, but as I looked, I saw the great door 
 rolled shut. When I came up to it, King 
 came out of his cabin room. 
 
 King came out; but he was no longer the 
 smiling, unctuous Celestial I had known. In 
 that yelping, screaming clamor, I stopped to 
 look at him in surprise. 
 
 He had fastened the mask upon his head 
 and held the cymbals in one hand. With the 
 other he dragged a package of fire-crackers 
 six feet long, braided together in quadruple 
 rows there were as many there as in a hun- 
 dred of the common Fourth-of- July packages. 
 It was such an equipment as the Chinese use 
 for their New Year's Day celebrations. 
 
 Before I could speak to him he had thrown 
 the string into an empty barrel and had 
 lighted the fuse. Immediately there was an 
 33-i 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 uproar like a regiment of infantry firing at 
 will. As soon as this was started, lie took 
 up his cymbals and began capering about, 
 clanging them. The barking of the dogs rose 
 frantically. 
 
 Surely, if anything could increase her ex- 
 citement, this grotesque accession would, and 
 I prepared for the last scene. The uproar 
 inside now rivaled King's racket; Edna was* 
 screaming for help, and instantly it occurred 
 to me that the dogs, who had always hated 
 her, might be now upon her, and, if I did not 
 act quickly, would tear her to pieces. 
 
 I tried the big door ; it was held by some- 
 thing inside. Smashing in a window, sash, 
 glass and all, with my naked fists, I climbed 
 in and went through the harness-room to the 
 carriage shed. 
 
 There she stood, now disarrayed to a 
 shocking state, her shining golden skirt rip- 
 ped half off, her bosom bare, her hair stream- 
 ing. She was driven into a corner and was 
 held there at bay by three snapping, yelping 
 dogs. She had caught up a carriage whip 
 385 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 and was slashing away so savagely that the 
 collies dared not close with her, hut I could 
 see that it was only a question of a few min- 
 utes before she would collapse. 
 
 It was my Joy in face and form, remem- 
 ber ! It was her face that was distorted with 
 terror, her form that was draped in glittering 
 rags, it was her voice that rose, shriek on 
 shriek, above the din, till my blood ran cold. 
 It was her voice that screamed to me for 
 help before she was torn to pieces. Its ter- 
 ror will be with me always. 
 
 ' l Oh, help me ! Help me ! " she cried. 
 
 But I steeled myself for the coup de grace. 
 " Break the bone," I muttered, "and let it 
 heal again !" 
 
 So I staggered to the great door, slipped 
 the hasp and let in King, prancing, beating 
 his cymbals, droning some savage chant. 
 The sun shone full upon him, glinted on the 
 brass cymbals and illuminated the red and 
 white and black of his atrocious mask. He 
 danced up to her, nearer and nearer. I 
 watched her, spellbound. 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 Then, as I looked, I saw her face change. 
 Her whip hand dropped, her staring eyes 
 closed. She clutched at her naked breast, 
 tottered and fell headlong, striking her fore- 
 head against a carriage wheel as she went 
 down like a golden wave dashing on the shore. 
 I sprang to catch her, just too late. But the 
 next instant I was down on the floor beside 
 her, beating the collies back, protecting her 
 from their teeth by my own body. Even as 
 I did so they drew off, stopped their fierce 
 snarling and lay down, panting, to watch me 
 quietly. How my hopes rose at this! How 
 eagerly I waited for the prostrate form to 
 revive. Outside, the last of the fire-crackers 
 popped at intervals in the smoking barrel. 
 
 "Get some water 1" I cried to King. 
 
 He threw off his mask, and dropped his 
 cymbals with a clanging clash and was off 
 through the big door. 
 
 The next moment I looked up from the 
 pale scarred face on the floor, to see Doctor 
 Copin standing at the entrance. Leah, wide- 
 eyed, staring, was behind him. 
 387 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 "What in hell's the matter?" he demanded, 
 and he looked in astonishment at the scene, 
 at the flaccid body in its magnificent disarray, 
 at me holding her passionately in my arms. 
 
 I watched her face for the first sign of life, 
 and did not answer him. His presence mat- 
 tered little, now, in my agonized suspense. 
 
 "For God's sake, Castle, what does this 
 mean? Are you all mad! What has hap- 
 pened? What the devil are you doing here, 
 anyway? Let me see to Miss Fielding, 
 please." 
 
 I attempted to hold him off with one hand, 
 but he seized me roughly before I was able 
 to resist, and threw me to one side. He 
 dropped to his knees, looked at the face and 
 felt for the pulse. I took my revolver from 
 my pocket and pointed it at him. 
 
 "You take your hand off her, or I'll make 
 you!" I cried. 
 
 Quick as a flash he turned and looked at me 
 bravely. "Shoot if you dare!" he said. 
 "This is my day, and this is my Miss Field- 
 388 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 ing. I take no orders from you, sir. It's 
 my duty as a physician to revive her. She'll 
 send you packing herself, when she comes 
 to." 
 
 I was, after all, so fearful of her condition 
 by this time, that I was glad to take advan- 
 tage of his skill. It would soon be settled 
 one way or the other, at any rate. So I said : 
 
 "All right, then, if she asks me to go, I 
 will. But we'll wait and see." 
 
 And so we stood, facing each other, for a 
 tense moment, then turned to her again. 
 King came running in with a basin of water. 
 Leah took it, stooped down and began to 
 sprinkle the pale face. 
 
 At that moment I saw Minnehaha look up, 
 and crawl, whimpering, to her mistress' 
 side. Chevalier and John 'Groat followed 
 her. Joy's eyes opened. I sprang to lift 
 her up. 
 
 "Edna!" the doctor cried. 
 
 "Joy!" I called, myself . 
 
 Life came flooding into her face, and I 
 389 
 
THE WHITE CAT 
 
 knew intuitively that it was Joy Joy illu- 
 mined, now, in some secret way, by the know- 
 ledge of our victory. 
 
 " Chester !" She smiled wanly up at me. 
 "Chester, send him away! I want to be 
 alone with you! I have something to tell 
 you!" 
 
 "Miss Fielding!" the doctor exclaimed, 
 "I must see you a moment first." 
 
 She turned to him and a wave of crimson 
 swept over her cheek. 
 
 "I beg your pardon, doctor, I'm no longer 
 Miss Fielding. I'm Mrs. Castle, and I beg 
 you to leave immediately!" 
 
 Then, still holding my hand close in hers, 
 she looked up at Leah and drew her down 
 beside us. 
 
 "Oh, Leah, dear, we've won! We've 
 won!" 
 
 THE END 
 
A FEW OF 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP'S 
 Great Books at Little Prices 
 
 NEW, CLEVER, ENTERTAINING. 
 
 GRET : The Story of a Pagan. By Beatrice Mantle. Illustrated 
 
 by C. M. Relyea. 
 
 The wild free life of an Oregon lumber camp furnishes the setting for this 
 strong original story. Gret is the daughter of the camp and isutterly con- 
 tent with the wild life until love comes. A fine book, unmarred by con- 
 vention. 
 
 OLD CHESTER TALES. By Margaret D eland. Illustrated 
 by Howard Pyle. 
 
 A vivid yet delicate portrayal of characters in an old New England town. 
 
 Dr. Lavendar's fine, kindly wisdom is brought to bear upon the lives of 
 all, permeating the whole volume like the pungent odor of pine, healthful 
 and life giving. " Old Chester Tales " will surely be among the books that 
 abide. 
 
 THE MEMOIRS OF A BABY. By Josephine Daskara. Illus- 
 trated by F. Y. Cory. 
 
 The dawning intelligence of the baby was grappled with by its great aunt, 
 an elderly maiden, whose book knowledge ofbapies was something at which 
 even the infant himself winked. A delicious bit of humor. 
 
 REBECCA MARY. By Annie Hamilton Donnell. Illustrated 
 
 by Elizabeth Shippen Green. 
 
 The heart tragedies of this little girl with no one near to share them, are 
 told with a delicate art, a keen appreciation of the needs of the childish 
 heart and a humorous knowledge of the workings of the childish mind. 
 
 THE FLY ON THE WHEEL. By Katherine Cecil Thurston. 
 
 Frontispiece by Harrison Fisher. 
 
 An Irish story of real power, perfect in development and showing a true 
 conception of the spirited Hibernian character as displayed in the tragic as 
 well as the tender phases of We. 
 
 THE MAN FROM BRODNEY'S. By George BarrMcCutch eon. 
 
 Illustrated by Harrison Fisher. 
 An island in the South Sea is the setting for this entertaining tale, and 
 
 an all-conquering hero and a beautiful princess figure in a most complicated 
 
 plot. One of Mr. McCutcheon's best books. 
 
 TOLD BY UNCLE REMUS. By Joel Chandler Harris. Illus- 
 trated by A. B. Frost, J. M. Conde and Frank Verbeck. 
 Again Uncle Remus enters the fields of childhood, and leads another 
 
 little boy to that non-locatable land called " Brer Rabbit's Laughing 
 
 Place," and again the quaint animals spring into active life and play theii 
 
 parts, for the edification of a small but appreciative audience. 
 
 THE CLIMBER. By E. F. Benson. With frontispiece. 
 
 An unsparing analysis of an ambitious woman's soul a woman who 
 
 believed that in social supremacy she would find happiness, and who finds 
 
 instead the utter despair of one who has chosen the things that pass away. 
 
 LYNCH'S DAUGHTER. By Leonard Merrick. Illustrated by 
 
 Geo. Brehm. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26th ST., NEW YORK 
 
GROSSET & DUNLAP'S 
 DRAMATIZED NOVELS 
 
 A Few that are Making Theatrical History 
 
 MARY JANE'S PA. By Norman Way. Illustrated with scenes 
 
 from the play. 
 
 Delightfu' , irresponsible " Mary Jane's Pa " awakes one morning to find 
 himselt famous, and, genius being ill adapted to domestic ioys, he wanders 
 from horn*-, to work out his own unique destiny. One of the most humorous 
 bits of recent fiction. 
 
 CHERUB DEVINE. By Sewell Ford 
 
 " Cherub," a good hearted but not over refined young man is brought in 
 touch with the aristocracy. Of sprightly wit, he is sometimes a merciless 
 analyst, but he proves in the end that manhood counts for more than anci- 
 ent lineage by winning the love of the fairest girl in the flock, 
 
 A WOMAN'S WAY. By Charles Somerville. Illustrated with 
 
 scenes from the play. 
 
 A story in which a woman's wit and self-sacrificing love save her husband 
 from the toils of an adventuress, and change an apparently tragic situation 
 into one of delicious comedy. 
 
 THE CLIMAX. By George C. Jenks. 
 
 With ambition luring her on, a young choir soprano leaves the little village 
 vhere she was born and the limited audience of St. Tude's to train for the 
 opera in New York. She leaves love behind her and meets love more ardent 
 but not more sincere in her new environment. How she works, how she 
 studies, how she suffers, are vividly portrayed. 
 
 A FOOL THERE WAS. By Porter Emerson Browne. Illus- 
 trated by Edmund Magrath and W. W. Fawcett. 
 A relentless portrayal of the career of a man who C9mes under the influence 
 of a beautiful but evil woman ; how she lures him on and on, how he 
 struggles, falls and rises, only to fall again into her net, make a story of 
 unflinching realism. 
 
 THE SQUAW MAN. By Julie Opp Faversham and Edwin 
 
 Milton Royle. Illustrated with scenes from the play. 
 A glowing story, rapid in action, bright in dialogue with a fine courageous 
 hero and a beautiful English heroine, 
 
 THE GIRL IN WAITING. By Archibald Eyre. Illustrated 
 
 with scenes from the play. 
 
 A droll little comedy of misunderstandings, told with a light touch, a ven 
 turesome spirit and an eye for human oddities. 
 
 THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL. By Baroness Orczy. Illus- 
 
 trated with scenes from the play. 
 
 A realistic story of the days of the French Revolution, abounding in 
 dramatic incident, with a young English soldier of fortune, daring, mysteri- 
 ous as the hero. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26th ST., NEW YORK 
 
A FEW OF 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP'S 
 Great Books at Little Prices 
 
 CY WHITTAKER'S PLACE. By Joseph C. Lincoln. 
 
 Illustrated by Wallace Morgan. 
 
 A Cape Cod story describing the amusing efforts of an el- 
 derly bachelor and his two cronies to rear and educate a little 
 girl. Full of honest fun a rural drama. 
 
 THE FORGE IN THE FOREST. By Charles G. D. 
 Roberts. Illustrated by H. Sandham. 
 
 A story of the conflict in Acadia after its conquest by the 
 British. A dramatic picture that lives and shines with the in- 
 definable charm of poetic romance. 
 
 A SISTER TO EVANGELINE. By Charles G. D 
 Roberts. Illustrated by E. McConnell. 
 
 Being the story of Yvonne de Lamourie, and how she went 
 into exile with the villagers of Grand Pre. ^ Swift action, 
 fresh atmosphere, wholesome purity, deep passion and search- 
 ing analysis characterize this strong novel. 
 THE OPENED SHUTTERS. By Clara Louise Burn- 
 ham. Frontispiece by Harrison Fisher. 
 
 A summer haunt on an island in Casco Bay is the back- 
 ground for this romance. A beautiful woman, at discord with 
 >ife, is brought to realize, by her new friends, that she may 
 open the shutters of her soul to the blessed sunlight of joy by 
 casting aside vanity and self love. A delicately humorous 
 work with a lofty motive underlying it all. 
 THE RIGHT PRINCESS. By Clara Louise Burnham. 
 
 An amusing story, opening at a fashionable Long Island re- 
 tort, where a stately Englishwoman employs a forcible New 
 England housekeeper to serve in her interesting home. How 
 types so widely apart react on each others' lives, all to ulti- 
 mate good, makes a story both humorous and rich in sentiment. 
 
 THE LEAVEN OF LOVE. By Clara Louise Burn- 
 
 harn. Frontispiece by Harrison Fisher. 
 At a Southern California resort a world-weary woman, young 
 and beautiful but disillusioned, meets a girl who has learned 
 the art of living of tasting life in all its richness, opulence and 
 joy. The story hinges upon the change wrought in the soul 
 of the blase woman by this glimpse into a cheery life." 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26th ST., NEW YORK 
 
A FEW OF 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP'S 
 Great Books at Little Prices 
 
 QUINCY ADAMS SAWYER. A Picture of New 
 England Home Life. With illustrations by C. W 
 Reed, and Scenes Reproduced from the Play. 
 One of the best New England stories ever written. It is 
 full of homely human interest * * * there is a wealth of New 
 England village character, scenes and incidents * * * forcibly, 
 vividly and truthfully drawn. Few books have enjoyed a 
 greater sale and popularity. Dramatized, it made the great- 
 est rural play of recent times. 
 
 THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF QUINCY 
 ADAMS SAWYER. By Charles Felton Pidgin. 
 Illustrated by Henry Roth. 
 
 All who love honest sentiment, quaint and sunny humor v 
 and homespun philosophy will find these " Further Adven- 
 tures" a book after their own heart. 
 
 HALF A CHANCE. By Frederic S. Isham. Illus- 
 
 trated by Herman Pfeifer. 
 
 The thrill of excitement will keep the reader in a state of 
 suspense, and he will become personally concerned from the 
 start, as to the central character, a very real man who suffers, 
 dares and achieves! 
 
 VIRGINIA OF THE AIR LANES. By Herbert 
 
 Quick. Illustrated by William R. Leigh. 
 The author has seized the romantic moment for the airship 
 novel, and created the pretty story of " a lover and his lass " 
 contending with an elderly relative for the monopoly of the 
 skies. An exciting tale of adventure in midair. 
 
 THE GAME AND THE CANDLE. By Eleanor M, 
 
 Ingram. Illustrated by P. D. Johnson. 
 The hero is a young American, who, to save his family fron_ 
 poverty, deliberately commits a felony. Then follow his cap- 
 ture and imprisonment, and his rescue by a Russian Grand 
 Duke. A stirring story, rich in sentiment. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26th ST., NEW YORK. 
 
A FEW OF 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP'S 
 Great Books at Little Prices 
 
 BRUVVER JIM'S BABY. By Philip Verrill Mighels. 
 
 An uproariously funny story of a tiny mining settlement in the 
 West, which is shaken to the very roots by the suddenpossession 
 of a baby, found on the plains by one of its residents. The town is 
 as disreputable a spot as the gold fever was ever responsible for, 
 and the coming of that baby causes the upheaval of every rooted 
 tradition of the place. Its christening, the problems of its toys and 
 its illness supersede in the minds of the miners all thought of earthy 
 treasure. 
 
 THE FURNACE OF GOLD. By Philip Verrill Mighels, 
 author of " Bruyver Jim's Baby." Illustrations by J. N. 
 Marchand. 
 
 An accurate and informing portrayal of scenes, types, and condi- 
 tions of the mining districts in modern Nevada. 
 
 The book is an out-door story, clean, exciting, exemplifying no- 
 bility and courage of character, and bravery, and heroism in the sort 
 of men and women we all admire and wish to know. 
 
 THE MESSAGE. By Louis Tracy. Illustrations by Joseph 
 C. Chase. 
 
 A breezy tale of how a bit of old parchment, concealed in a figure- 
 head from a sunken vessel, comes into the possession of a pretty 
 girl and an army man during regatta week in the Isle of Wight. 
 This is the message and it enfolds a mystery, the development of 
 which the reader will follow with breathless interest. 
 THE SCARLET EMPIRE. By David M. Parry. Illus- 
 trations by Hermann C. Wall. 
 
 A young socialist, weary of life, plunges into the sea and awakes 
 in the lost island of Atlantis, known as the Scarlet Empire, where 
 a social democracy is in full operation, granting every man a living 
 but limiting food, conversation, education and marriage. 
 
 The hero passes through an enthralling love affair and other ad- 
 ventures but finally returns to his own New York world, 
 THE THIRD DEGREE. By Charles Klein and Arthur 
 Hornblow. Illustrations by Clarence Rowe. 
 
 A novel which exposes the abuses in this country of the police 
 system. 
 
 The son of an aristocratic New York family marries a woman 
 socially beneath him, but of strong, womanly qualities that, later 
 on, save the man from the tragic consequences of a dissipated life. 
 
 The wife believes in his innocence and her wit and good sense 
 help her to win against the tremendous odds imposed by law. 
 
 THE THIRTEENTH DISTRICT. By Brand Whitlock. 
 A realistic western story of love and politics and a searching study 
 of their influence on character. The author shows with extraordi- 
 nary vitality of treatment the tricks, the heat, the passion, the tu- 
 mult of the political arena, the triumph and strength of love. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26th ST., NEW YORK 
 
A FEW OF 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP'S 
 Great Books at Little Prices 
 
 THE MUSIC MASTER. By Charles Klein. Illustrated 
 
 by John Rae. 
 
 This marvelously vivid narrative turns upon the search of a Ger- 
 man musician in .New York for his little daughter. Mr. Klein has 
 well portrayed his pathetic struggle with poverty, his varied expe- 
 riences in endeavoring to meet the demands of a public not trained 
 to an appreciation of the classic, and his final great hour when, in 
 the rapidly shifting events of a big city, his little daughter, now a 
 beautiful young woman, is brought to his very door. A superb bit 
 of fiction, palpitating with the life of the great metropolis. The 
 play in which David Warfi eld scored his highest success. 
 
 DR. LAVENDAR'S PEOPLE. By Margaret Deland. 
 
 Illustrated by Lucius Hitchcock. 
 
 Mrs. Deland won so many friends through Old Chester Tales 
 that this volume needs no introduction beyond its title. The lova- 
 ble doctor is more ripened in this later book, and the simple come- 
 dies and tragedies of the old village are told with dramatic charm. 
 
 OLD CHESTER TALES. By Margaret Deland. Illustrated 
 by Howard Pyle. 
 
 Stories portraying with delightful humor and pathos a quaint peo- 
 ple in a sleepy old town. Dr. Lavendar, a very human and lovable 
 *' preacher," vs the connecting link between these dramatic stories 
 from life. 
 
 HE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS WIFE. By E. P. Roe, 
 With frontispiece. 
 
 The hero is a farmer a man with honest, sincere views of life. 
 Bereft of his wife, his home is cared for by a succession of domes- 
 tics of varying degrees of inefficiency until, from a most unpromis- 
 ing source, comes a young woman who not only becomes his wife 
 but commands his respect and eventually wins his love. A bright 
 and delicate romance, revealing on both sides a love that surmounts 
 all difficulties and survives the censure of friends as well as the bit- 
 terness of enemies. 
 THE YOKE. By Elizabeth MiUer. 
 
 Against the historical background of the days when the children 
 of Israel were delivered from the bondage of Egypt, the author has 
 sketched a romance of compelling charm. A biblical novel as great 
 as any since " Ben Hur." 
 
 SAUL OF TARSUS. By Elizabeth Miller. Illustrated by 
 Andre* Castaigne. 
 
 The scenes of this story are laid in Jerusalem, Alexandria, Rome 
 and Damascus. The Apostle Paul, the Martyr Stephen, Herod 
 Agrippa and the Emperors Tiberius and Caligula are among the 
 mighty figures that move through the pages. Wonderful descrip- 
 tions, and a love story of the purest and noblest type mark this 
 most remarkable religious romance. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26th ST., NEW YORK 
 
GROSSET & DUNLAP'S 
 
 DRAMATIZED NOVELS 
 
 Original, sincere and courageous often amusing the 
 kind that are making theatrical history. 
 
 MADAME X. By Alexandra Bisson and J. W. McCon- 
 aughy. Illustrated with scenes from the play. 
 A beautiful Parisienne became an outcast because her hus- 
 band would not forgive an error of her youth. Her love for 
 her son is the great final influence in her career. A tremen- 
 dous dramatic success. 
 
 THE GARDEN OF ALLAH. By Robert Hichens. 
 
 An unconventional English woman and an inscrutable 
 stranger meet and love in an oasis of the Sahara. Staged 
 this season with magnificent cast and gorgeous properties. 
 
 THE PRINCE OF INDIA. By Lew. Wallace. 
 
 A glowing romance of the Byzantine Empire, presenting 
 with extraordinary power the siege of Constantinople, and 
 lighting its tragedy with the warm underglow of an Oriental 
 romance. As a play it is a great dramatic spectacle. 
 
 TESS OF THE STORM COUNTRY. By Grace 
 Miller White. Illust. by Howard Chandler Christy. 
 A girl from the dregs of society, loves a young Cornell Uni- 
 versity student, and it works startling changes in her life and 
 the lives of those about her. The dramatic version is one of 
 the sensations of the season. 
 
 YOUNG WALLINGFORD. By George Randolph 
 
 Chester. Illust. by F. R. Gruger and Henry Raleigh. 
 
 A series of clever swindles conducted by a cheerful young 
 
 man, each of which is just on the safe side of a State's prison 
 
 offence. As "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford," it is probably 
 
 the most amusing expose of money manipulation ever seen 
 
 on the stage. 
 
 THE INTRUSION OF JIMMY. By P. G. Wode- 
 
 house. Illustrations by Will Grefe. 
 Social and club life in London and New York, an amateur 
 burglary adventure and a love story. Dramatized under the 
 title of "A Gentleman of Leisure," it furnishes hours of 
 laughter to the play-goers. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26th ST., NEW YORK 
 
TITLES SELECTED FROM 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP'S LIST 
 
 REALISTIC, ENGAGING PICTURES OF LIFE 
 
 THE GARDEN OF FATE. By Roy Norton. Illustrated 
 
 by Joseph Clement Coll. 
 
 The colorful romance of an American girl in Morocco, and 
 of a beautiful garden, whose beauty and traditions of strange 
 subtle happenings were closed to the world by a Sultan's seal. 
 
 THE MAN HIGHER UP. By Henry Russell Miller. 
 
 Full page vignette illustrations by M. Leone Bracker. 
 
 The story of a tenement waif who rose by his own ingenuity 
 
 to the office of mayor of his native city. His experiences 
 
 while "climbing," make a most interesting example of the 
 
 possibilities of human nature to rise above circumstances 
 
 THE KEY TO YESTERDAY. By Charles Neville 
 Buck. Illustrated by R. Schabelitz. 
 
 Robert Saxon, a prominent artist, has an accident, while in 
 Paris, which obliterates his memory, and the only clue he has 
 to his former life is a rusty key. What door in Paris will it 
 unlock? He must know that before he woos the girl he loves. 
 
 THE DANGER TRAIL. By James Oliver Curwood. 
 
 Illustrated by Charles Livingston Bull. 
 The danger trail is over the snow-smothered North. A 
 young Chicago engineer, who is building a road through the 
 Hudson Bay region, is involved in mystery, and is led into 
 ambush by a young woman. 
 
 THE GAY LORD WARING. By Houghton Townley. 
 
 Illustrated by Will Grefe. 
 
 A story of the smart hunting set in England. A gay young 
 lord wins in love against his selfish and cowardly brother and 
 apparently against fate itself. 
 
 BY INHERITANCE. By Octave Thanet. Illustrated 
 
 by Thomas Fogarty. Elaborate wrapper in colors. 
 
 A wealthy New England spinster with the most elaborate 
 
 Elans for the education of the negro goes to visit her nephew 
 i Arkansas, where she learns the needs of the colored race 
 first hand and begins to lose her theories. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26th ST., NEW YORK 
 
14 DAY USE 
 
 RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED -L-AST DATE 
 
 LOAN DEPT. OP 25 
 
 This book is due on the last date stamped below, or ILURE TV> * 
 
 on the date to which renewed. 
 Rene^edbopk&are subject to immediate recall. 
 
 III! O r 'ft/I 1 nil 
 
 
 JULz-> &4-1PM 
 
 
 C"CTD 1 O +r\t\f\ 
 
 
 RECEiV 
 
 JUN 1 1 19S6 
 
 S *VENTH DA y 
 
 .HIM 
 
 CIRCULATION BEFfi 
 
 EC'DlJ 
 
 LD 21A-60m-4,'64 
 (E4555slO)476B 
 
 General Library 
 
 University of California 
 
 Berkeley 
 
 21-100m-8/34 
 
U. C. BERKhLtY uorv 
 
 912797 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY